Tehran, Nov 18 (IANS): Sixty people were poisoned due to chlorine gas leakage in the central Iranian province of Isfahan, the official news agency IRNA reported.

At 13:40 local time, on Sunday it was reported that a semi-trailer truck carrying chlorine gas cylinders had overturned on an intercity road in Shahreza County, 80 km south of the provincial capital Isfahan, Xinhua news agency reported.

Following the accident, rescue teams were immediately sent to the scene, Mansour Shishehforoush, director general of the provincial crisis management department, was quoted as saying.

Due to the chlorine gas leakage from one of the cylinders, 60 people in nearby areas suffered pulmonary toxicity and were immediately transferred to medical centers, said Shishehforoush.

He added that teams from the provincial crisis management department, the Red Crescent Society, traffic police, and law enforcement agencies had restored safety in the area, allowing the road where the incident took place to reopen.