Bitumen warehouse on fire in Spreitenbach: 7 injured, 4 in hospital
A fire broke out on Sunday in a bitumen warehouse in the industrial area of Spreitenbach (AG). Seven people were poisoned by the smoke, four of whom had to be hospitalized.
The plume of smoke was spectacular on Sunday in Spreitenbach.
KEYSTONE/ALEXANDRA WEY
The fire alarm was given at 4.30 p.m., the spokesman for the Aargau cantonal police told the Keystone-ATS news agency. Extinguishing work continued throughout the evening at a steady pace. By 9:30 p.m. the fire was under control, the spokesperson added.
It will take part of the night for the firefighters to completely control the disaster. Thanks to a drone from the Brugg fire brigade, it appeared that outbreaks persisted.
Sunday evening, it was not possible to comment on the cause of the fire and the amount of damage. The police spokesman expected the fire investigation service to begin tracking the tracks on Monday morning.
Four buildings on fire
According to the spokesman, who was on site, the warehouse containing the bitumen collapsed. Three other commercial buildings were damaged by fire.
The burning bitumen and flaming insulation materials from the buildings caused thick smoke and a strong billow of ash. Added to this was the wind, which made the extinguishing work even more difficult.
The site of the fire is near the A1 motorway between the Würenlos rest area and Dietikon. The smoke severely disrupted visibility. The police closed the highway entrance to Spreitenbach. In the evening, the right lane in the direction of Bern was closed. Traffic was disrupted.
On Alertswiss, the authorities called on the population of the surrounding area to close doors and windows and to turn off air conditioners and fans. In addition, the place of the fire should be avoided and largely circumvented.
The bitumen used for asphalt can, when heated, emit dangerous vapors containing PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons).
Posted today at 10:23 p.m.
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