International desk – At least 80 people have fallen sick after Syrian government forces allegedly dropped barrel bombs containing chlorine from helicopter in a suburb of Aleppo, according to media reports.

BBC reported that the volunteer emergency workers say people suffered breathing difficulties after an attack on the Sukari area.

The reports could not be independently verified. A UN-led investigation in August found the government had used chlorine on at least two occasions.

The Syrian government has always denied using chemical weapons.

It comes as Syrian opposition leaders prepare to meet in London on Wednesday to launch a new plan for a political transition to try to end the conflict.

The opposition’s main political group, the High Negotiations Committee, will be hosted by UK Foreign Minister Boris Johnson and foreign ministers from the Friends of Syria group will attend.

Ibrahem Alhaj, a Syrian Civil Defence rescue worker, said he had reached the scene of the Aleppo attack shortly after a helicopter dropped barrels containing what he said were four chlorine cylinders on Tuesday.

Syrian Civil Defence, a volunteer emergency response team that operates in opposition-held areas, posted video on its Facebook page showing distressed children using oxygen masks to breathe.

Russia, an ally of the Syrian government, has accused rebels of firing shells containing “toxic gas” at government-held areas in Aleppo.

Chlorine is a common industrial chemical, but its use in weapons is banned by the Chemical Weapons Convention, says BBC.

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