Twelve firefighters in hospital after being treated for injuries
A woman in Baden-Württemberg throws an old metal can into a construction debris container. As it starts to smoke, the fire department tries to extinguish it. Twelve firefighters and the woman are subsequently hospitalized.
In a chemical incident in the Baden-Württemberg town of Kaisersbach, twelve firefighters and one resident were injured. According to the police in Aalen, a chemical reaction occurred in a waste container on Thursday evening. The container had been used to dispose of construction debris following flood damage. It is believed that the resident of the affected house also disposed of an old metal can containing calcium phosphide, which was previously used as a method to control moles.
Due to the moisture from the flood-soaked construction debris, a chemical reaction occurred, causing smoke to emanate from the container. Both the homeowner and the responding firefighters initially assumed there was a fire in the container and attempted to extinguish it with water. This action, however, intensified the chemical reaction and smoke production.
The resident and twelve firefighters suffered respiratory irritation and were admitted to hospitals. A hazardous materials team from the fire department was eventually able to bind and neutralize the gas. Firefighters from neighboring communities responded with a total of 20 vehicles and 83 personnel, while the emergency services deployed six vehicles and 16 personnel. The nearby county road remained fully closed until the early morning hours.
The affected resident and the firefighters were transferred to local hospitals for treatment due to the chemical exposure. Despite the smoke, initial assumptions of a fire led to the use of water, exacerbating the situation in the hospital.
