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West End apartment building evacuated due to hazmat emergency

Residents of a West End apartment building were left standing in the cold Friday night after a noxious substance was noticed inside.

Around 7 p.m., tenants on the third floor of a four-storey building at 1133 Barclay St. said they began noticing a strange smell and some began coughing uncontrollably and experiencing eye and throat irritation, leading them to call 911, grab their pets and evacuate the premises.

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Some residents at the scene said the substance smelled like oven cleaner or something similar to ammonia.

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Firefighters arrived and evacuated the building. Vancouver Fire Department told Global News the hazmat situation was still ongoing at 8:15 p.m. and crews will be conducting a “thorough investigation” into the cause of the substance before allowing any residents back inside.

There is not currently an estimated time on when the building will reopen.

Vancouver Fire said no one was taken to hospital.

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