Schools, public offices, and major businesses in the southern Tunisian city of Gabès were closed on Tuesday as residents observed a general strike called by the Regional Labor Union to protest against environmental pollution and recurring gas leaks from the local chemical complex.

The strike follows several days of demonstrations by residents demanding that authorities halt toxic emissions from factories producing fertilizers and other chemical products at the Gabès Chemical Complex. The UGTT labor union, which organized the strike, said the situation poses growing health and environmental risks.

The complex, built in 1972, is located in the Chott Essalem district, about four kilometers from the city center and home to roughly 18,000 people. On September 27, local authorities reported 35 cases of suffocation among pupils at El Knaïna Shatt Essalem Primary School, following what officials described as an “accidental” gas leak.