An explosion at a chemical park shook the western German city of Leverkusen on Tuesday, injuring several employees and sending a large black cloud rising into the sky.
The explosion happened at around 9:40a.m. local time on Tuesday in a part of the site where waste is incinerated, a statement from the operators of the Chempark site said.
Several employees were injured in the blast, at least two of them seriously, and five employees are currently missing, the statement from Currenta said.
It is not yet clear what caused the explosion or subsequent fire, the company said.
Germany’s Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance classified the explosion as ‘an extreme threat’ and asked residents to stay inside and keep windows and doors closed, German news agency dpa reported.
Currenta said sirens and a ‘warning app’ had been triggered to ‘warn the population’.
Firefighters and pollution detection vans had been deployed to the site and the injured have been taken to hospital, the company said.
Currenta said it is in the process of preparing a press conference on the incident.
Police said that it was not yet clear how much damage was caused and that a large number of emergency staff were on site. Several nearby motorways have also been closed.
Videos and images shared on social media showed an enormous plume of smoke towering above the plant.
