After large amounts of propane gas leaked for days at a chemical plant in Hadamar, emergency services closed the damaged valve. The affected residents in the restricted area cannot return to their homes for the time being.
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Video 03:23 min. | 02/28/24, 7:30 p.m. |hessenschau
There will be no more gas releases in Hadamar for the time being
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The situation surrounding the gas leak in a chemical company in Hadamar (Limburg-Weilburg) is easing somewhat: As the city announced on Wednesday afternoon, the emergency services were able to close the outlet valve on the tank. The tank will now be checked for possible further leaks.
In addition, the sewerage system is ventilated. According to the city, the propane gas had collected there because it is heavier than air. Only then could the houses of residents in the restricted area be checked and released again. The approximately 740 people affected cannot return for another night.
Valve initially iced up
The spokesman for the Limburg-Weilburg district, Jan Kieserg, said that gas leaks were no longer observed during a visit on Wednesday morning. The exit point was completely iced over due to the minus 40 degree gas. The emergency services had to clear the ice from the shaft with warm water in order to finally seal the valve.
Since Monday morning, the highly flammable liquid gas had been leaking from the underground tank, which was originally filled with 150 tons of gas.
Houses are scheduled to be inspected on Thursday
If everything goes according to plan, the house inspections should begin at dawn on Thursday. 12 measuring teams will check in 200 houses whether dangerous amounts of propane gas have accumulated there. Hadamar’s mayor Michael Ruoff (CDU) explained that they wanted to ensure that the affected citizens could return to their homes as quickly as possible.
The city of Hadamar provided telephone numbers online, where those affected can register for measurements in their homes. The specialist staff need a contact person for each house as well as the key in order to gain access to cellars, for example. The houses should then be checked for gas street by street – “so that nothing as bad as the night before last doesn’t happen,” says Ruoff.
House in ruins
On Tuesday night, a resident returned to his house in the exclusion zone without permission. A deflagration occurred and the building was completely destroyed by the explosion. The emergency services then expanded the radius of the evacuation area from 300 to 400 meters. According to the mayor, a total of 740 people are affected. Most of them were staying with relatives or acquaintances.
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28.02.24
Gas leak in Hadamar: A bird’s eye view of the exclusion zone
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There were isolated discussions during the evacuation, but overall the population “cooperated well,” said a police spokesman. The explosion in the house that night made people realize how dangerous the escaping gas can be.
On Monday, safety engineers tried several times to close the leak – without success. There has not been a comparable case to date, explained Ralf Konermann from the Tyczka Group, a provider of liquid and industrial gas as well as hydrogen, to which the affected plant in Hadamar-Niederzeuzheim belongs.
Emergency shelter set up, pets cared for
The community has set up emergency accommodation in a village community center. Most recently, only 21 people took up the offer, as Mayor Ruoff said on Tuesday.
Many residents were worried about caring for their pets that had been left behind in the restricted area. The fire department has now taken care of the animals after consultation with the owners, reported Ruoff.
On Tuesday, Interior Minister Roman Poseck (CDU) visited the site and expressed his thanks to the around 200 emergency services. “They ensure the best possible safety and care for the population. I would particularly like to emphasize that most of the emergency services are volunteers,” said Poseck. This commitment deserves “very special recognition”.
Investigations will have to wait
The criminal police also have to wait until they can enter the restricted area, a police spokesman said on Tuesday. As long as there can be no investigation into how exactly the deflagration occurred that night in the residential building into which a resident had returned without permission.
“Anything that can trigger a spark” could be the cause. At that time, however, the electricity had already been switched off in the entire restricted area; simply turning on a light switch could not have been the cause.
The man freed himself from the rubble of the building and was taken to hospital with injuries. Drone footage showed that only a pile of rubble remained of the house, which stood around 120 meters from the affected company.
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Recent examination without any abnormalities
Those responsible at the Tyczka Group, on whose premises the incident occurred, are not yet able to return to their premises to clarify the cause of the gas leak.
A company spokesman said the “failure of a fitting” probably led to the leak. An element of the tank construction, a so-called flange, was torn off.
How this could have happened is also not yet clear. A technical inspection of the tank a good six months ago revealed no defects, said the company’s technical manager, Ralf Konermann.
According to the Giessen regional council, which acts as a supervisory authority, there have been no significant incidents at the company in around 50 years.
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