Mannheim (dpa/lsw) - More than a week after the chemical accident in the port of Mannheim, the accident container is to be opened on Wednesday. According to the city, the container, which had been sprinkled with Rhine water for days, has now cooled down so much that it can be recovered without major chemical reactions. Probes measured the temperature and sulfur dioxide inside, and a mini camera gave an impression of the situation in the container with almost 200 barrels of hydrosulfite. "All of this has enabled us to put our rescue concept into practice," said the first mayor of the city of Mannheim, Christian Specht (CDU). The action, with a detailed examination of each individual barrel, will take two or three days.
Toxic fumes escaped from the container intended for Turkey with the bleach for textiles from the chemical company BASF on Tuesday last week. When fighting the fire and the gases, 17 people were slightly injured. After the rescue, the cause of the leak should be clarified.
Hydrosulfite is harmless if handled with care. However, it is classified as dangerous goods due to the risk of self-ignition with release of sulfur dioxide and sulfur. According to current knowledge, such a self-ignition has probably expired.
