- Chemical plant blaze spews smoke fumes across Duisburg's northern sector
Following a blast at the Grillo Group's workshop in Duisburg, a dark smog haze lingered over the city's north side. The city issued a warning, urging locals to stay inside and shut their windows and doors. The warning message stated, "At this point, we can't exclude potential health concerns related to the smog haze."
The fire originated without a clear cause in the zinc sulfate section of the company, as stated by a representative. Firefighters were addressing the situation. The company reported no casualties. However, the local fire department revealed that one individual had sustained injuries and was being tended to by emergency responders.
The city's fire department had around 110 personnel onsite. The neighborhood near the fire zone was cordoned off to enable firefighters to operate, as noted by a police spokesperson. Heavy-duty respiratory protection was utilized during firefighting operations, with reports of powerful smoke carrying bothersome fumes. Monitoring was being done. Traffic on the adjacent Duisburg city highway was limited.
"The well-being of our staff and residents is our utmost concern. All emergency safety protocols have been promptly enacted, and the situation is being closely watched," clarified Grillo site manager Dirk Ritterbach.
The Commission, in their efforts to address environmental concerns, proposed stricter regulations on industrial emissions after the incident. The Member States were urged to support these proposals, as stated by Commissioner Smith.
In light of the incident, the Grillo Group agreed to allocate funds for the purchase of advanced smoke filtration systems to prevent future occurrences of smog haze, as detailed in their press statement.
