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A dangerous liquid leaked on a Mannheim factory site on Tuesday afternoon
Photo: dpa
A column of white smoke about 150 meters high had formed - 16 police officers were injured when a dangerous liquid escaped on a Mannheim factory site on Tuesday.
They had respiratory irritation and were being examined in the hospital, a police spokesman said in the evening.
According to emergency services, the liquid could develop toxic and irritating vapors.
According to the police, a container burst around 3 p.m. and a dangerous liquid escaped.
According to the city and police, residents in a radius of 1,300 meters around the Mühlauhafen site should close windows and doors and not leave their houses.
There is a strong odor nuisance.
There was initially no precise information about the substance that escaped.
The air measurement in Manneheim and outside did not show any abnormalities, said the first mayor of Mannheim, Christian Specht, of the newspaper "Die Rheinpfalz".
According to him, there are currently no known cases of mucosal irritation among citizens.
According to Specht, the substance in the container is a hydrosulfite, as "Die Rheinpfalz" reports.
According to the report, the container contained 200 barrels containing around 22 tons of the substance, which reacts with the air.
This could result in immense temperatures.
"The fire brigade has now been able to cool the container from several hundred degrees to below 100 degrees Celsius," Specht told the newspaper.
The container will therefore be cooled down with water and should be opened in the evening.
Depending on how the substance behaves, a decision will then be made as to whether residents should be evacuated.
It is not yet clear how the accident happened.
Traffic in downtown Mannheim had partially come to a standstill, and there were massive traffic jams.
"So if you don't necessarily have to go to Mannheim, please drive around generously," tweeted the police.
Meanwhile, the fire brigade is in action with a large contingent.
This could last all night.
mgo/ani/dpa