2021 Leverkusen explosion

{{Short description|Industrial disaster in Leverkusen, Germany}}

{{Expand German|topic=hist|Explosion im Chempark Leverkusen 2021|date=December 2022}}

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| image = Autobahnkreuz_Leverkusen-West-3335_(cropped).jpg

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| map = {{infobox mapframe|coord={{Coord|51.04341|N|6.97473|E}}|zoom=12}}

| time = 09:35 CEST

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| date = {{start date|2021|7|27|df=y}}

| venue = Chempark

| location = Leverkusen, NRW, Germany

| coordinates = {{coord|51.0130|6.9914|type:event_globe:earth_region:GER|display=ti}}

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| type = Explosion and fire

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| reported deaths = 7{{cite news |url=https://www.sueddeutsche.de/panorama/chempark-leverkusen-explosion-1.5374798 |title=Entwarnung in Leverkusen |trans-title=All clear in Leverkusen | newspaper=Süddeutsche Zeitung |date=5 August 2021 |access-date=8 August 2021}}

| reported injuries = 31{{cite news|title=Germany: 3 more workers found dead at industrial blast site|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/business/germany-3-more-workers-found-dead-at-industrial-blast-site |date=29 July 2021 |publisher=The Associated Press}}

| reported missing = 1

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An explosion occurred at Chempark, an industrial park for chemical factories in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, on 27 July 2021, at 09:35 local time, sending a pall of smoke over the city.

The city of Leverkusen stated that the explosion, which caused a fire, occurred in storage tanks for solvents. In a first statement, the Cologne fire department said that the air pollution measurements did not show any kind of abnormality, the smoke had gone down and that they would continue to measure the air for toxins. Later, the environment department of North Rhine-Westphalia (LANUV) announced they were expecting toxic doses of dioxins, PCBs, and furans or their derivatives in the fallout from the smoke cloud and told residents in large surrounding areas not to eat or touch fruit from their gardens, even not to clean surfaces and objects from the fallout until further notice.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ksta.de/region/leverkusen/explosion-in-leverkusen-umweltamt-geht-von-giftstoffen-in-rauchwolke-aus-38939888|title = Explosion in Leverkusen: Umweltamt gibt Entwarnung für Bürger|date = 5 August 2021}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.ksta.de/region/leverkusen/giftstoffe--ursache--vermisste-das-ist-bereits-ueber-den-brand-in-leverkusen-bekannt-38944786|title = Giftstoffe, Ursache, Vermisste: Das ist bereits über den Brand in Leverkusen bekannt|date = 28 July 2021}}{{Cite web|url=https://www1.wdr.de/nachrichten/leverkusen-chempark-explosion-rauch-stoffe-100.html|title = Explosion im Chempark Leverkusen: Wie giftig sind die Stoffe aus der Rauchwolke?|date = 29 July 2021}}

The explosion killed seven people, thirty-one more people were injured. All the casualties were workers at the site.{{cite news |title=Deadly explosion at industrial park in German city of Leverkusen |url=https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20210727-deadly-explosion-at-industrial-park-in-german-city-of-leverkusen |access-date=27 July 2021 |publisher=France24 |date=27 July 2021}}{{cite news |last1=Grieshaber |first1=Kirsten |title=At least 2 killed in German chemical blast; 31 injured |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/explosion-at-chemical-complex-in-german-city-of-leverkusen/2021/07/27/3bf6e112-eeb7-11eb-81b2-9b7061a582d8_story.html |access-date=27 July 2021 |agency=Associated Press |work=The Washington Post |date=27 July 2021 |archive-date=27 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727091509/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/explosion-at-chemical-complex-in-german-city-of-leverkusen/2021/07/27/3bf6e112-eeb7-11eb-81b2-9b7061a582d8_story.html |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |title=Blast in German industrial park kills two, several missing|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/explosion-rocks-chemicals-site-western-german-city-leverkusen-2021-07-27/ |access-date=27 July 2021 |publisher=Reuters |date=27 July 2021}}