Blast at Major Chemical Complex Kills 1, Injures 16
The explosion reportedly occurred in storage tanks used for solvents at the Chempark chemical complex in Leverkusen, Germany.
An explosion Tuesday morning at the Chempark chemical complex in Leverkusen, Germany claimed one life and injured 16 people, international news organizations reported. Four people are currently unaccounted for.
The blast occurred at about 9:40 a.m., causing a fire to break out in the tank camp of the complex’s Bürrig disposal center, Chempark said in a post on its Facebook page. A large plume of black smoke was generated by the fire, sparking concerns that toxic materials were released into the air, an account by the Associated Press (AP) said. Fire officials later said that no air pollution has been detected.
As the fire burned, Chempark urged people living near the plant to shut off their air conditioners and close windows and doors. The explosion is thought to have happened in storage tanks that contained solvents, said Al Jazerra, citing information from the city of Leverkusen.
“We are deeply affected by this tragic accident and the death of an employee. Our special sympathy goes out to the relatives, but also to the colleagues who worked with him,” Chempark head Lars Friedrich said in a social media statement.
Chempark houses about 200 chemical plants operated by major companies like Bayer, Covestro, Evonik, LANXESS, and Nouryon. Over 5,000 chemicals are made at the complex, according to its website, including fine chemicals, aromatics, and nitration and chlorination products.
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