Leverkusen: Two dead from explosion in chemical park

After the severe explosion in the Chempark in Leverkusen, a second fatality was found. 31 people were injured, five are still missing. The cause of the detonation is still unclear.

There was a serious explosion in Chempark Leverkusen that morning. As things stand, two people were killed.

According to the Cologne police, at least 31 people were injured in the detonation. Five of them would need intensive care. The city authorities had previously spoken of 16 injured people, one of whom was in mortal danger.

In addition, five employees are apparently still missing. In a message from the operator of the Chempark, Currenta, it is said that the search for the five missing people is going under high pressure. “Unfortunately, the hope of finding them alive is dwindling noticeably,” said Chempark manager Lars Friedrich. The operators had previously spoken of four missing persons.

Tank farm caught fire

According to the company, the explosion occurred around 9:40 a.m. in the tank farm of the disposal center in the Bürrig district. Subsequently, there was a fire in the tank farm, which could only be extinguished after hours.

According to Chempark manager Friedrich, three tanks with a capacity of up to 300 cubic meters each, containing solvents, were affected by the fire. How much of it was burned is still being determined. The extinguishing water had been collected. According to North Rhine-Westphalia’s Interior Minister Herbert Reul, a second tank with highly flammable, toxic waste materials was also at risk of explosion. The fire brigade was able to prevent that.

The cause of the explosion is so far unclear. According to the police, fire specialists have started work to clarify how the detonation could have come about.

Laschet expresses sympathy for loved ones

In the afternoon, the North Rhine-Westphalian Prime Minister Armin Laschet expressed his condolences to the families and employees concerned. At the same time, he thanked the rescue workers who had “prevented worse” with their work.

Friedrich also spoke of “difficult hours”, many people were afraid. His thoughts are with the relatives of the employees who have been killed in the explosion. The Lord Mayor of Leverkusen, Uwe Richrath, spoke of a “tragic day for Leverkusen”.

Warnings to residents, playgrounds closed

After the explosion, the city and authorities took precautionary measures for the population. Residents were asked to go to closed rooms and to keep windows and doors closed. In the course of the day, the warnings were almost completely lifted, but in the surrounding districts of Chempark they were valid until late afternoon.

The city of Leverkusen also temporarily closed playgrounds in the Bürrig and Opladen districts. The city authorities also advised that food harvested from the garden should be washed off. A telephone hotline has been set up for residents who find residues and soot deposits on the properties and streets.

Measured values ​​”in the green area”

The first air measurements by the environmental protection units in the north of Cologne showed at noon that there was currently no danger to the population. All values ​​would be “in the green area”. The State Office for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection announced that it could still not be ruled out that any precipitation could contain pollutants.

Motorways are now free again

According to the WDR the explosion had shaken the entire city area and could also be heard in the more distant Bergisch Gladbach. Also in Dortmund – about 60 kilometers as the crow flies from Leverkusen – the fire brigade warned of a possible odor nuisance in some parts of the city and possible “health impairments”.

The police have now closed several highways near the chemical park. The motorways have now been opened again.

Currenta is the operator of the Chempark with three locations in Leverkusen, Dormagen and Krefeld-Uerdingen – one of the largest chemical sites in Europe. More than 70 companies are based there, including the Dax groups Covestro and Bayer or Lanxess and Air Liquide. In 2019 Bayer and Lanxess sold their shares in Currenta with around 3,300 employees to an infrastructure investment company of the Australian bank Macquarie.