Train (illustration)
Train (illustration)Thinkstock

Train service was halted and roads were closed in northern Israel Sunday after officials said that they were investigating a possible chemical leak at a facility of Israel Military Industries (Rafael) in Kiryat Bialik. Officials said that so far, they had not discovered any danger to the public.

Israel Railways official said that they had closed the Nahariya and Akko (Acre) stations as a safety precaution. Shuttle buses will be available for passengers who need to reach those destinations. The train tracks pass next to the IMI facility, and officials said that while there was no danger, there was also no sense in taking chances.

In a statement, IMI said that “during a routine check of one of our facilities we discovered an 'uncharacteristic feature.' In order to ensure the highest levels of safety we have decided to close off the areas and send employees home. The matter is being dealt with and we have coordinated our moves with the highest authorities,” the statement added.