- 14 lightly injured in explosion and fire at BASF premises
An explosion with subsequent fire at the headquarters of the chemical company BASF in Ludwigshafen resulted in 14 employees suffering minor injuries. They were taken to the on-site clinic as a precaution, a company spokesperson in the second-largest city in Rhineland-Palatinate announced. The fire was extinguished by the plant's fire department.
Environmental monitoring vehicles were deployed both within and outside the premises. They detected slightly elevated levels of hydrocarbons within the area and in adjacent sections. "There was never any danger to the population," the company stated. The explosion occurred in the South section of the world's largest chemical company. Investigations into the cause are ongoing.
Fire department advises closing windows and doors
Due to the heavy smoke, which was also visible from neighboring Mannheim on the opposite side of the Rhine, the Ludwigshafen fire department advised the public, among other things, to close windows and doors and turn off ventilation and air conditioning systems via the warning apps Katwarn and Nina. Additionally, the authorities set up an emergency information hotline.
Vehicles from several fire departments and BASF's environmental monitoring team checked the surroundings of the plant for pollutants. After the fire was extinguished, no unusual or elevated readings were detected, the city administration reported. Apart from the smell, there was no danger to the population. The hazard alert was lifted.
The explosion at the port of Ludwigshafen, although causing damage within BASF's headquarters, did not lead to any harmful emissions outside, as confirmed by the environmental monitoring team.
The Ludwigshafen fire department's advisory to close windows and doors was issued due to the smoke from the explosion at BASF's headquarters, as a precaution for the public's safety.
