Hamburg fire: German police warns of possible fatal toxins in air, alert issued

About 140 people were evacuated in the German city of Hamburg after a fire broke out in a storage facility. The storage facility is suspected to be housing chemicals, following which the toxins in the air due to smoke from the fire site is not yet ruled out.The fire is said to be the largest firefighting operation in the past ten years. No casualties have currently been reported.

The Police have warned locals of possible toxins in the air. It is not yet clear how dangerous the situation is, according to a police spokesperson. Authorities said the fire was in Rothenburgsort, just a few kilometres southeast of central Hamburg, and that the smoke cloud was moving in the direction of the city centre.

The police spokesperson said the sky had darkened as a result but the weather made it difficult to determine how much was smoke and how much was clouds. Police and fire authorities were currently assessing the situation, the spokesperson said.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

Reports in the German media suggest that hydrogen sulphide is leaking on the site. WION cannot independently verify the claim.

In an official statement, Hamburg Fire Brigade said: "The population in the Hamburg [HH-Rothenburgsort] area can be affected by smoke gases and chemical components in breathing the air due to a fire."

"The cloud of smoke is moving in the direction of the city."

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.