The death toll from an explosion at a German chemical park has risen to six, Cologne prosecutors said Wednesday, after another victim was discovered under the rubble.

One person is still missing and presumed dead following the July 27 explosion, which also injured 31 people.

The cause of the blast at the chemical park's waste incineration site in the western city of Leverkusen remains unknown.

Prosecutors in nearby Cologne have opened an investigation against unknown persons on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter and causing an explosion through negligence.

The blast, which was heard several kilometres away and rattled the windows of nearby homes, sent up a cloud of black smoke.

It also triggered a fire in storage tanks for solvents that took firefighters hours to put out.

Residents were told to stay indoors and shut their windows for most of the day over concerns dangerous gases may have been released.

Health officials said on Friday that initial investigations suggested there was no danger to residents' health from the fallout.

Early tests on soot particles showed "no critical levels of dioxin" or other toxic substances, Ulrich Quass of the enviroment department in North Rhine-Westphalia state said.

Further analysis is ongoing and locals are still being advised not to eat fruit or vegetables from their gardens.

All those affected worked at the chemical park.

The blast area, in Leverkusen's Buerrig district, is a short distance from Chempark's main industrial park that houses numerous companies including Bayer, Lanxess and Evonik Industries.

sea/mfp/bp

Bayer

EVONIK INDUSTRIES AG

LANXESS

Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
A world of storm and tempest
When the Earth Quakes

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The Space Media Network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceMediaNetwork Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceMediaNetwork Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

A year after the mushroom cloud, Lebanon still bleeds
Beirut (AFP) Aug 1, 2021
On August 4, 2020, a fire at the Beirut port ignited one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history. It disfigured the city, took more than 200 lives and shattered Lebanon's psyche. The blast was felt as far away as Cyprus, and the destruction is hard to fathom. But if one thing can outweigh what happened to Lebanon that day, it is what hasn't happened since. Not one culprit has been put on trial, jailed or even identified. Families of the victims have received no visit, apology or explana ... read more