A leak from an acid tank at a chemical plant in Oberhausen, Germany has released a toxic cloud over the facility.
About 150 people were treated for respiratory issues and two were hospitalized. A fire department spokesperson said that 40 of the injured worked at the chemical plant and the other 110 were employees at another industry facility nearby.
The leaking tank is operated by Hamm Chemie, a company that specializes in hydrochloric acid, sodium hydroxide, iron II chloride and soda solution. According to the company’s website, its facility has a “large tank capacity” of over 14,000 tons. The company says it handles 300,000 tons of product per year, making it one of the biggest chemical companies in Germany.
The tank that leaked acid contained 600 cubic meters of 96-percent sulfuric acid. The fire department reported that after the leak, the tank was completely empty.