Overview
- The leak, which occurred Saturday, June 20, released a phosgene-containing liquid inside Chempark Dormagen and led to the immediate evacuation and medical response.
- Preinstalled safety measures, including a triggered steam-ammonia neutralisation wall, stopped the release and are credited with preventing wider contamination.
- Between roughly 17 and 25 employees were taken to hospitals under contamination protocols and most were symptom-free after initial checks but kept for 24-hour observation due to phosgene’s delayed lung effects.
- Cologne police and the kriminalpolizei opened an investigation and say there are no signs of deliberate sabotage while early findings point to a technical defect or operator error.
- Measurements by plant and municipal fire brigades found no hazardous contamination in nearby residential areas though residents reported smelling ammonia, and Chempark houses roughly 70 chemical firms that rely on similar safety systems.