What led to the chemical accident in the port of Mannheim? The public prosecutor's office is investigating in the case against unknown persons.
Mannheim (dpa / lsw) - About a week after the chemical accident at the port of Mannheim, it is not yet clear whether and when the cause of the escape of toxic gases from an overseas container will be found. A spokesman for the public prosecutor's office told the German Press Agency that the investigations were ongoing and that it was not possible to predict how and when they would be completed. The Mannheim authorities are investigating because there is suspicion of negligent bodily harm. At the moment the investigations are aimed at unknown persons. 17 people were slightly injured by the escape of toxic fumes from the container on Tuesday last week.
The authority has commissioned an expert from the specialist field of dangerous goods and logistics to investigate the accident. The chemical company BASF, which stores the barrels it originates from the container on the factory premises, says it is providing the investigators with advice and assistance.
The nearly 200 barrels of hydrosulfite were to be sold to Turkey. From the results of the experts, BASF wants to draw conclusions about the future use of the bleach for the textile industry. The company sells several thousand tons of it every year. The damaged cargo in the container weighed 22 tons.
Hydrosulfite tends to self-ignite if handled improperly. The result: Sulfur dioxide and sulfur are produced during combustion. Inhalation of sulfur dioxide can cause eye and respiratory irritation. It is suspected that such a reaction could have taken place in the container.
The container, which had been sprinkled with Rhine water for days and heated up by a chemical reaction, had cooled down so much after a week that it could be salvaged without major chemical reactions. The last barrels were delivered to BASF on Thursday evening.
