Several firefighters are suffering from health complications after they were exposed to a harmful chemical during their efforts to extinguish a fire at the abandoned City Market warehouse on Thursday afternoon, according to Police Fire Services chief, Superintendent Walter Evans.

Evans said the officers were exposed to ammonia in the building, located on East West Highway.

"Officers had some complaints health-wise in terms of what they were exposed to," Evans said yesterday.

"When officers responded there was no information concerning what was on the property. We discovered later on, after officers extinguished the fire that there was an ammonia tank, which is on the property.

"As a result of that, there were six officers who were taken to the hospital suffering from various ailments and they were sent to the [medical] facility (Thursday) evening. They were all evaluated, treated and discharged."

Evans said the incident left the fire department shorthanded. He said some officers were forced to work for a 24-hour period to cover for the injured officers.

Evans thanked those officers for their dedication.

The warehouse was extensively damaged.

Evans said officials from the National Insurance Board (NIB) considered purchasing the old building back in 2013 to be used by one of the government ministries. However, that plan has since been abandoned.

The Bahamas Supermarkets Limited Pension Fund owns the building.

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