Several people were injured when chlorine gas escaped in a chemical park in Burgkirchen an der Alz in Upper Bavaria. A total of 51 employees were receiving medical treatment, as the Gendorf chemical park announced after the incident on Tuesday. “Five colleagues with respiratory irritation were taken to nearby hospitals for further treatment. All other employees who went to the company medical service as a precaution were able to continue their work a short time later,” said Dominik Gschwendtner from the plant management’s on-call service.
It was initially unclear why the incident occurred and how much gas escaped, and the authorities began investigations. The chemical park said there was no danger to the population or the environment. A spokesman for the Altötting district office confirmed to the German Press Agency that measurements outside the factory premises could not show any increased values. The chemical park immediately communicated openly and gave the civil protection access everywhere.
The Chemical Park Gendorf is located in the so-called Bavarian Chemical Triangle. According to its own statements, it is the largest chemical park in Bavaria with around 4,000 employees. The chlorine gas escaped in a production plant of the plastics specialist Westlake Vinnolit. The company regretted the incident and promised full support in investigating the cause of the accident.