Hamburg, April 9, 2023 – Scary Easter ad Hamburgwhere the alarm was triggered for a vast fire which hit two depots a few kilometers from the German city today at dawn. A thick cloud of smoke moves towards the city, the firefighters have issued an alarm for “extreme danger”. The cloud could be toxic and contain “chemical components”. According to local media, the first investigations indicate that it would be leaving the warehouses “hydrogen sulfide”. Firefighters operate on site with gas masks. About 200 forces are involved in putting out the fire, while explosions continue from inside. According to sources from the fire brigade, it could take the whole day to put out the flames.
Residents of a large northeastern portion of Hamburg are being intimated to close doors, windows and ventilation. The authorities are asking to limit travel, avoiding those towards the area affected by the fire. But now, witnesses report, the entire city center “is completely obscured by smoke”. From the first air readings – reported around noon – the toxic values do not seem to have increased significantly, but the alarm has not been withdrawn. According to the police it is not possible, at the moment, to say how dangerous the situation is.
The fire broke out at 4.30 am in a warehouse in the Rothenburgsort district, overlooking the Elbe River on the border with the port area of Hafencity, a few kilometers southeast of Hamburg. Immediately the evacuation of 140 people became necessary, reports Sky News. At the moment no deaths or injuries are reported. The warehouses, meanwhile, are still engulfed in flames.
News being updated