On July 27, 2021, there will be a devastating explosion in the chemical park in Leverkusen. Seven employees die and many are injured. For the bereaved, the pain remains immense. The reputation of the operator has suffered greatly.
At 9:37 a.m., storage tank number three exploded. A devastating fire is spreading in the hazardous waste facility in the Leverkusen Chemical Park. Seven more tanks are destroyed. On July 27, 2021, seven men die and 31 people are injured, some seriously. Women lose their partners, children their fathers. "I feel like I've been amputated," says one of the bereaved one year later. Her husband was on the early shift that day. The couple was happy with the little daughter, they bought a house, dreams and plans. The catastrophe in the chemical park of the operator Currenta plunged them and other families into an abyss.
"Somehow you work," she tells the German Press Agency. Your name is known to the dpa, but will not be mentioned at the request of those affected. What does she really look like? "Pain, loss, anger, hopelessness, lack of prospects, endless missing." Everything is out of joint. "Since that day, time has kind of stood still for us." A mountain full of tasks has to be conquered despite grief. "I could hardly have done it alone."
The widow seems strong. "For my daughter." Family and friends support her. First she went to a therapist, now she attends a bereavement group in a hospice. Above all, talking to other survivors is good for her. "Our men died together. We can empathize with each other, find some comfort."
The tragedy hit the city to the core, stresses the mayor of Leverkusen, Uwe Richrath. The accident is still present in detail to the SPD politician. "There has never been such a loud explosion that shook buildings and could be felt from miles away, combined with such a massive column of fire," he recalls. "The tremendous shock after the detonation, the wailing of the sirens, the black cloud of soot that swept over the city - and then the terrible knowledge of the many injuries and that seven people who were working there at the time of the explosion did not survive the accident have - hardly any of us will ever forget that."
Currenta wants to hold a minute's silence on July 27 at 9:37 a.m. at all three chemical park locations, including Dormagen and Krefeld. The accident in one of the largest chemical parks in Europe triggered nationwide horror. In the city of 167,000 residents, there was also fear of damage to health. The State Environment Agency later gave the all-clear. But Currenta lost a lot of trust and reputation.
Those affected are tormented by the question of how the catastrophe could have happened and who is to blame. "I really hope that those responsible will be held accountable, even if it doesn't bring our loved ones back," says the bereaved. One is always put off, it will take a while. Your lawyer has not yet received any access to the files.
The Cologne public prosecutor's office is investigating four Currenta employees, among other things, for negligent homicide. They are suspected of violating their duty of care in connection with storage and waste treatment and thus causing the accident. The investigations would be carried out with the greatest possible acceleration, assures a public prosecutor. According to a June report by the North Rhine-Westphalia Ministry of the Environment, the employees at the plant did not have all the information about the temperature sensitivity and hazardousness of the waste.
"The victims and their relatives are entitled to transparent and complete information," says the city of Leverkusen. The families needed answers. "But careful legal work-up takes time." To mark the anniversary, there will be an event for relatives, friends and colleagues of the victims in the chemical park - without publicity and only in August. Currenta is planning two memorials, one near the site of the explosion: a sculpture made of seven cubes - symbolic of the deceased, as a spokesman explains.
Seven dead, seven families destroyed. What financial aid does Currenta provide? "The loss of a person cannot be weighed up with money - we are aware of that," says the company spokesman. It is important to the operator to "support the relatives financially even before the investigation is completed". Currenta does not provide any further information on request and justifies this "with regard to the personal rights affected". The works council had collected a mid-five-digit sum for the surviving dependents, and Currenta doubled the amount. According to dpa information, no compensation or damages have been paid so far.
The company is aware that the public reputation has suffered considerable damage, emphasizes Currenta boss Frank Hyldmar on the company website. You want to regain trust with many small steps. But even after the disaster, there were incidents. 1.3 million liters of waste water escaped unnoticed from a tank for months. Four people were injured in a deflagration in January. A good ten months after the accident, Currenta partially put the waste incineration plant back into operation.
The widow saw the scene of the accident twice shortly after the accident. "I felt like I had to do that for processing." On July 27th she will be at her husband's grave. She doesn't know exactly how things will continue for her and her daughter. The little girl is still too young to understand. "But if she really understands, it will be all the more difficult for us. Then we will need professional help."
