Fatal blast at Leverkusen’s chemical plant causes toxic cloud

Berlin, Jul 28 (EFE).- The deadly explosion that rocked a chemical industrial complex in the western German city of Leverkusen produced a toxic cloud affecting nearby neighborhoods, authorities said Wednesday.

Tuesday’s blast left two people dead, some 30 injured and five are missing, feared dead.

The explosion is believed to have emitted dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and furan, according to North Rhine Westphalia’s environment authorities.

“The concentration in which this actually happened is still being investigated. Investigations take a long time,” a spokesperson for the state’s environment office said according to local media.

Although the search for five people who are still missing is ongoing, hopes of finding them alive are slim.

“We have to assume that we will not find the five missing alive,” the chairman of the chemical park management company, Frank Hyldmar, told local media.

People within a radius of several kilometers from the plant are advised against consuming vegetables or fruits grown in their gardens after the blast.

The chemical park in Leverkusen is one of the largest in Europe, hosting close to 70 companies. The causes of the explosion are still unknown. EFE

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