GERMANY: Over 100 people affected by CO2 inhiliation after accident at Germany factory

Record ID: 735964

  • Title: GERMANY: Over 100 people affected by CO2 inhiliation after accident at Germany factory
  • Date: 16th August 2008
  • Summary: (EU) MOENCHENGLADBACH, GERMANY (AUGUST 16, 2008) (REUTERS) FIRE ENGINES IN THE STREET VARIOUS OF FIREMEN TESTING GAS LEVELS IN RESIDENTIAL AREA POLICE WALKING ALONG STREET HELICOPTER AND POLICE VANS POLICE VAN ZOOM OUT FROM HELICOPTER IN THE SKY TO POLICE VANS AND AMBULANCE IN THE STREET FIREMEN OUTSIDE BAKERY FIREMEN WEARING GAS MASKS WIDE OF POLICE CAR OUTSIDE FACTORY PO
  • Embargoed: 31st August 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes,Industry
  • Reuters ID: LVA4VI5KUWAE95U678SMW0CJCH1
  • Story Text: Around 107 people were injured after an accident at a paint factory in the western German town of Moenchengladbach on Saturday (August 16) led to a serious gas leak.
    Local police said that 13 of the injured had to be taken to hospital, three of whom had to be resuscitated. Factory workers, six firefighters and local residents were among the injured. Around 300 firefighters and some 100 police officers were called in to bring the problem under control. A railway line and a motorway junction were closed off as a result.
    "We cordoned off a wide area. We were told that people were falling over everywhere. People were travelling in their cars, suddenly the cars stopped, the people got out, fell over and lay on the ground lifeless.
    There were really lifeless people. At the beginning it was such a large number that we reckoned with a large number of injured people. So we got our forces working because we needed support and capacity to transport people,"
    Joerg Lampe from the fire brigade in Moenchengladbach said.
    According to the police, a fire in the factory early on Saturday led to a technical defect which resulted in large amounts carbon dioxide (CO2) being released into the air. The gas spread across the area, which meant that 50 houses had to be evacuated. Residents were ordered to closed doors and windows and to stay in upper floors of buildings to avoid inhaling the odorless gas.
    A helicopter was also deployed to try mix the air and reduce the strength of the CO2.
    The interior minister for the German state of North Rhine Westphalia, Ingo Wolf, praised the work of the emergency service.
    "Altogether it was a well coordinate mission which worked very well. We can now give the all clear. From the 107 people who were originally injured, ten are still being treated in hospital. One of them is in intensive care and we hope that they are feeling better as soon as possible. Everything is being done to ensure this," Wolf said.
    CO2 is heavier than air and therefore remains on the ground. If the concentration of the gas is to high then it can lead to dizziness and headaches, whereas higher amounts it can lead to a shortage of breath, unconsciousness and in the worst cases, death.
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