Fire that engulfed BASF's German chemical complex in Ludwigshafen on Monday has resulted in dead of two firefighters, with one person is still missing. According to the company, the fire in the north harbour at BASF in Ludwigshafen on October 17 has been extinguished. Eight people were seriously injured due to the accident, while 17 others received light injuries.
Fires at the Ludwigshafen site was triggered due to an explosion during work on a pipeline that carried ethylene and propylene product. Ethylene and propylene are important basic materials in the chemical industry. Ethylene is used for the production of insulating materials and solvents, among others, while propylene is used for the production of automotive paints, dispersions and adhesives, etc.
“The BASF fire department and the Ludwigshafen fire department are still on the scene to perform cooling and safety measures. The extinguishing water is being fed into the sewage treatment plant at BASF. There is a barrier between the North Harbor and the Rhine River. Measurements do not show any elevated levels,” said BASF in a statement yesterday.
As the raw material supply is still interrupted, the steam crackers remain shut down. Around 20 other plants are either shutdown or only partially running.
“We are deeply saddened that two employees have died. As fire fighters they were devoted to saving lives. Our deepest sympathy lies with the affected people and their families,” commented Margret Suckale, member of the board and industrial relations director at BASF SE.
