A chemical reaction occurs in a sea container - at times a cloud of smoke rises 150 meters high. The incident triggers an hour-long large-scale operation and odor nuisance, and police officers are injured.
Mannheim (dpa / lsw) - A dangerous liquid leaked out of a sea container on a Mannheim factory site on Tuesday. Police said it could develop toxic and irritating fumes. According to the city, residents in a radius of 1300 meters around Mühlauhafen should close windows and doors and not leave their houses. There is a strong odor nuisance. 16 police officers were injured. According to the information, they complained of a dry cough, respiratory irritation and red eyes, and two officers were taken to the hospital.
A large-scale operation involving fire brigades from Mannheim, the surrounding municipalities and BASF has been underway since the afternoon, supported by the water police and police, aid organizations, the technical aid agency, the port authority and the city drainage. "The operation will probably continue throughout the night," said the city and police headquarters in Mannheim at around 10:30 p.m.
A chemical reaction occurred in the sea container in the afternoon. It was said to contain almost 200 barrels of hydrosulfite. This is an aid for the textile industry, which is used, for example, for bleaching. "The product may have self-decomposed, releasing sulfur dioxide and other sulfur salts," it said. At times, this caused a cloud of smoke around 150 meters high.
"The container is currently still being extinguished with water," the city and police said later in the evening. This is to cool it so that the escaping vapors decrease. The cause of the chemical reaction was still unclear.
The districts of Jungbusch, downtown and Neckarstadt West are affected by the incident. According to the police, individual buildings were cleared. The fire brigade carried out air measurements at various points in the city area. So far, the results have not shown any increased values, it said. Anyone who still feels long-lasting symptoms should seek medical treatment.
All access roads to the area of operation were still closed late in the evening, including the Kurt Schumacher Bridge. Road users who want to leave the inner-city area are asked to drive via the Augustaanlage. If possible, drivers should avoid the Mannheim city area. At times there was a massive traffic jam.
A citizen hotline has been set up on 0621 2936370 for those affected. The emergency call should be kept free.
