Three people have been hospitalised as a result of an emergency incident at an Edinburgh pharmaceutical plant.
Emergency crews rushed to the scene at the MacFarlan Smith facility on Wheatfield Road following reports of a serious issue on Wednesday afternoon.
At least eight vehicles from Police Scotland, the Scottish Ambulance Service and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) attended the incident, according to eyewitnesses.
READ MORE: Edinburgh nuclear bunker to become museum as plans approved by council
One told Edinburgh Live a chemical spill had caused a mass response, but that is now understood not to be the case.
Three workers have since been rushed to hospital as a precautionary measure while an internal investigation is underway.
Officers blocked off access to the plant shortly after the incident while specialist teams were dispatched, however the nature of the emergency has not been disclosed.
An eyewitness said: "I counted about eight emergency vehicles, police, ambulance and fire.
"I have no idea what was going on but it looked serious."
The plant, which manufactures chemical compounds including opiate alkaloids, has operated in the capital since the 19th century, but was bought by London-based multinational Johnson Matthey in 2001.
Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox
A spokesperson for the firm said: “There was an incident at our Edinburgh site and emergency services were in attendance in accordance with our site procedures.
"Three people working on site have been taken to hospital for further examination as a precautionary measure. The safety of our workers and the public is our highest priority.”
Police Scotland confirmed officers attended the incident in a supporting role to ambulance and fire crews.
The SFRS has been contacted for comment.
.png?w=600)
