Traffic at the busy Aldo Moro Road in Marsa came to a standstill yesterday afternoon after acidic chemicals from a nearby factory spilt on to the street.

The incident led to a traffic pile-up lasting some three hours, after Labour, Aldo Moro and Garibaldi roads were closed. The road leading to the Turkish Cemetery was also shut to avoid serious accidents.

Traffic to Valletta from the south was diverted through Qormi, leaving buses stuck and delaying others scheduled to leave Valletta.

The spillage caused some bumper-to-bumper incidents, although no one was injured.

Members of the Civil Protection Department washed the chemicals with water and spread sand to soak up the solution.

Potential splashing of the acidic chemicals could have caused harm to both commuters and vehicles, a spokesman from the CPD explained.

Sources said the spillage resulted from the nearby factory belonging to Bim Ltd. Among its services, the factory offers protective coatings on steel works.

In Parliament later, Transport Minister Joe Mizzi said insurance companies had confirmed cars passing through were covered.