Police and fire officials in the German city of Hamburg warned locals of possible toxins in the air after fires broke out early on Sunday at multiple storage facilities.
Some 140 people were evacuated, and it is not yet possible to say exactly how dangerous the situation is, a police spokesperson said.
A spokesperson with the fire department said they had reduced the threat level somewhat, even though the fire was still burning at midday, but that people should remain indoors with windows closed.
Authorities said the fire began around 4 a.m. in Rothenburgsort, just a few kilometres southeast of central Hamburg, and that the smoke cloud was moving in the direction of the city centre.
Multiple police, fire and other emergency workers were at the scene as a thick cloud of dark smoke billowed upwards.
The police spokesperson said the sky had darkened as a result, but the weather made it difficult to determine how much was smoke and how much was clouds.
Residents in the German city of Hamburg have been warned of heavy smoke and possible toxins in the air after a major fire broke out at a warehouse.
Video circulating on social media shows the warehouse engulfed in flames early Sunday morning, with smoke billowing into the sky.
"Smoke gases and chemical components in the air caused by a warehouse fire can affect breathing. The cloud of smoke is moving towards the city center!" an alert from the Hamburg fire department said.
German news agency dpa said the fire broke out around 4:30 a.m. in the Rothenburgsort district, located in the eastern part of Germany's second-largest city. The smoke drifted from there toward the city center, halting long-distance trains between Hamburg and Berlin and other cities.
A public safety alert conveyed through a mobile phone app advised people in Hamburg to close windows, turn off ventilation and air conditioning, and to avoid the area. No injuries were reported.
Public broadcaster NDR said the fire involved containers with hydrogen sulfide, a toxic and foul-smelling substance, forcing firefighters and police officers in the area to wear breathing apparatus.
The Hamburg fire brigade warned residents of the Rothenburgsort area of the city that they could “be affected by smoke gases and chemical components in the breathing air due to a fire.” A cloud of smoke was moving toward the city center, the brigade said.
This footage was published by @nez_tuncer on Twitter. It was filmed in Rothenburgsort and shows smoke rising. Credit: @nez_tuncer via Storyful.
Feuer in Rothenburgsort pic.twitter.com/wyqYhPims4
— nez (@nez_tuncer) April 9, 2023
On Sunday morning the national railway company Deutsche Bahn also announced a closure between Hamburg and Buchen due to the fire.
The railway said trains between Hamburg and Berlin will be diverted and delayed by around 90 minutes
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