Cyanide Spill Closed Clayton Road Between Conway and 40/64

It happened at Albarre Jewelry in Ladue, on Clayton Road.

Police say a very old bottle of cyanide used to clean jewelry fell on the floor and broke. The occupants of the store immediately evacuated.

A UPS driver who stopped at the store just after the spill had trouble breathing, according to Ladue Fire Chief Eric Hinson.

"One of our medical personnel treated him. I don't know anything further on his condition," Hinson said during the emergency HAZMAT procedures.

After-school and evening activities were canceled Tuesday at Ladue Middle School because of the nearby contamination.

An outside company was called in to take care of chemical cleanup at Albarre' Jewelers.

The state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) was called in to inspect the contaminated area. There's an office at Lindbergh Boulvard near Lemay Ferry Road.

St. Louis County HAZMAT, and emergency responders from the cities of Ladue, Frontenac, West Overland and Creve Coeur swarmed the scene during the early afternoon.

Crews gave blood pressure tests to people in the immediate area, but it was not immediately clear why.

Ladue schools were told to have students leave school at release time by avoiding Clayton Road in the HAZMAT zone (Highway 64/40 exit at Clayton to Conway Road.)

Ladue Middle School, Ladue High School and Conway Elementary School were nearby.

"We will direct traffic away from the area once school lets out," Chief Hinson said.

Clayton Road slowly began to re-open to traffic by about 2 p.m. By 3 p.m. traffic from Ladue Middle School was leaving in both directions on Clayton Road at a normal pace.

Customers at Nicole's of Ladue—a hair salon—were evacuated with curlers in their hair and taken to the vacant Clayton Place Salon across the street.

Information/photos were provided by Patch editors, Sarah Flagg, Mehlville-Oakville, Maggie Rotermund, Wentzville and Gregg Palmero, Creve Coeur.