HALIFAX -- Firefighters responded to what was initially believed to be a radioactive leak aboard a ship at the port of Halifax on Thursday night.

But a few hours after they responded to the call, the Halifax Fire Department used its Twitter feed to report there was no leak of radioactive material.

The department says there were no injuries and no one was contaminated at the Ceres terminal in Fairview Cove in the city's north end on the Bedford Basin.

The department says they received a call at 10:46 p.m. after four steel cylinders fell from a container.

It says the cylinders contained uranium hexafluoride, which is the chemical compound used in the gas centrifuge process to enrich uranium that is then used as reactor fuel or to arm nuclear missiles.

Initially, division commander Corey Beals said the department thought it was dealing with "some sort of radiological leak" but he couldn't provide any further details.

But about 90 minutes later, the department tweeted there wasn't a leak.

Two workers among a group leaving the container terminal said they were sent home early and were scanned for radiation as they left the facility.