- Massive smoke plume following chemical plant inferno - Alert issued
Following a significant blaze at Grillo group's Duisburg facility, a dense cloud of black smoke prevailed over the city's north area, eventually moving towards Oberhausen later. The city issued a public alert, urging residents to stay indoors, close windows and doors as a safety measure.
Duisburg's Fire Chief, Oliver Tittmann, announced the all-clear in the evening. Preliminary tests indicated all levels significantly lower than hazardous limits. The alerts were issued as a precautionary measure. Tittmann added, however, that the firefighting operations with substantial resources were to carry on throughout the night.
Zinc sulfate, "not a harmful substance"
Ulrich Grillo, the CEO of the company, communicated with the German Press Agency, stating, "Currently, there's no threat posed by the smoke cloud." Zinc sulfate, manufactured in Duisburg, plays a crucial role as a basic chemical in the paper and textile industries and even serves as a dietary supplement, according to Grillo. He deemed it as a non-harmful substance.
The fire originated in the zinc sulfate plant of the company for unknown reasons, a spokesperson disclosed. The flames were detected at 4:20 PM. As the firefighters began extinguishing, the rooftop of the production hall also caught fire, Grillo confirmed.
The company reported no causalities. Duisburg's Fire Department reported one injured individual who received medical attention by the rescue services.
Major exertion with 250 personnel
The blaze represented a significant undertaking for the Fire Department. 250 personnel were deployed, Tittmann shared in the evening. Neighboring fire departments aided the extinguishing efforts. Police blocked the roads leading to the fire site to enable unimpeded operation by the Fire Department, a police spokesperson revealed.
Firefighters donned heavy protective gear for a duration during the extinguishing process. They reported substantial smoke development accompanied by "caustic smoke." Additionally, the Fire Department utilized a drone to survey the chemical plant from the sky while cooling down tanks and pipes as necessary, Tittmann informed.
The plant, housing around 400 employees, was evacuated. Within the next few days, the company needed to decide if and how long production would be suspended, Grillo specified. Passenger traffic on the nearby Duisburg city motorway was momentarily restrained by the smoke, according to the Fire Department.
The Grillo group employs approximately 1,400 individuals across six production sites.
The initial fire was in the zinc sulfate plant, a substance deemed safe by the company's CEO, Ulrich Grillo. As the dense smoke from the fire spread, Fire Chief Oliver Tittmann mentioned that despite the all-clear, firefighting operations with substantial resources would continue due to the presence of caustic smoke.
