Overview

• Police and the Kassel fire department cordoned off the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe area and partially evacuated the museum after detecting toxic gases in the archive.
• Officials attribute the leak to heat-accelerated chemical breakdown of historic celluloid film rolls stored at Schloss Wilhelmshöhe.
• No injuries have been reported and fire department leaders confirm there is no ongoing threat to the public.
• Museumsverwaltung Hessen Kassel Heritage initially attempted an internal removal of the films before notifying emergency services.
• Crews report that the actual relocation of the decomposing films has not yet begun and the containment operation could take several more hours.