A state of emergency has been introduced in Hamburg, Germany. On the night of April 9, a strong fire broke out in the Rotenburgsort district, a cloud of toxic smoke moves through the city.
According to preliminary data, writes Bild, the source of the fire, which started around 04:30 local time, was located in a truck stop, from where the fire spread to storage areas. What exactly was stored in the burning warehouses has not yet been reported, but because of the fire, a huge amount of toxic smoke is released, and this cloud is now moving towards the city center.
It was not possible to localize the fire by noon, although at least 210 firefighters are working at the scene. Because of the wind, the fire moves towards the center. The fire department said it would take all day to put out the blaze. Tim Spiesberg, spokesman for the Hamburg fire department, says:
“Initially, only one warehouse burned, but over time, for various reasons, the fire spread to other storage facilities. A cloud of smoke is moving across half of the city, and we have activated a system that warns of its approach.”
Due to the fire, traffic on the Büchen-Hamburg railway line was stopped. All trains take a detour with a delay of up to 60 minutes. In Hamburg, the operation of public transport is limited. Residents of areas located in the danger zone are ordered to close windows and doors and not go outside. Local authorities call what is happening “extremely dangerous” and do not exclude the possibility of evacuation.
A fire is accompanied by the release of toxic smoke. The Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief described the situation as “extremely dangerous.” Residents are advised to immediately close windows and doors, turn off ventilation and air conditioners.
The Hamburg police said that about 140 people have already been evacuated, adding that it is not yet possible to predict how events will develop and whether additional measures will be required. The causes of the fire are being investigated.
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