Foreign
GERMAN authorities are seeking to open a container from an industrial estate in the city of Mannheim on Wednesday that is leaking hazardous fumes.
The leaking fumes have already injured 16 police officers.
“The operation is ongoing, but the situation is currently stable,” a spokesperson for the operation said.
The spokesperson added that the container had been cooled with water overnight to reduce the amount of fumes escaping from it.
A gas cloud formed over the industrial estate that reached 150 metres in height.
The container is housing 200 barrels of hydrosulphites, an auxiliary agent for the textile industry that is used for bleaching.
“A self-decomposition of the product could have occurred due to the product’s properties, releasing sulphur dioxide and other sulphur salts,’’ a city official said.
The exact cause has yet to be determined.
The fire brigade carried out measurements in different parts of the city to determine whether the fumes could be a danger to the public.
“So far, the measurements have not shown any elevated levels,’’ the official said.
At least 16 German police officers were taken to hospital on Tuesday to be treated for respiratory issues as a result of the leak.
Residents in a 1,300-metre radius of the site, in the city’s Mühlauhafen district, have been told to keep their windows and doors closed and to stay inside. (dpa/NAN)
A.I
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