According to Reuters, an explosion in a German industrial park on Tuesday, 27th of July, killed at least two people and injured 31, setting off a fierce blaze that sent a pall of smoke over the western city of Leverkusen. Several people were still missing.
Police said five of the 31 injured people were affected seriously enough to need intensive care.
Chempark's chief Lars Friedrich said it was not clear what had caused the explosion, which led to a fire starting in a tank containing solvents.
"Solvents were burned during the incident, and we do not know precisely what substances were released," Friedrich added. "We are examining this with authorities, taking samples."
Leverkusen is less than 50 km (30 miles) from a region hit last week by catastrophic floods that killed at least 180 people.
More than 30 companies operate at the Chempark site in Leverkusen, including Covestro (1COV.DE), Bayer, Lanxess and Arlanxeo, according to its website.
