Massive explosion rocks chemical waste plant in GermanySeptember 10, 2014 - 12:23 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - An explosion has rocked a chemical waste facility near Bremen in north-western Germany, injuring several people, police said, according to Belfast Telegraph. Police said that one person was severely burned in the blast and that the explosion damaged a nearby residential area in the town of Ritterhude, which is in the county of Verden-Osterholz. About 30 to 40 houses were damaged - some of them only 65ft (20m) from the facility - as the blast shattered windows, ripped doors from their frames and tore off roofs, police said. A few houses were in danger of collapsing. The injured man was found in the rubble and several local residents were slightly injured, police and firefighters said. The blast happened at 9pm local time and could be heard for miles, sparking an intense fire. "We had always looked upon this facility with worry," Ritterhude's mayor Susanne Geils said. "We've always said that this company is out of place here." Marcus Neumann, spokesman for the local Verden-Osterholz police, said authorities believe the injured man is a plant employee whose car was found outside the plant. Neumann said the employee responded to an alarm on his beeper, and drove from his home to the plant to investigate. He added that a second employee might be missing. The spokesman said the cause of the blast was not clear, as the site was still not yet accessible to investigators. It took four hours before firefighters could get the blaze under control, and they expected to work on extinguishing it through the morning hours. The plant is owned by Organo Fluid, which specialises in recovering valuable solvents from mixtures of solvents. Photo: Ingo Wagner / AP Photo / DPA Related links: Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. Ucom equips four bus stops in Ijevan with free Wi-Fi Ucom now provides free Wi-Fi coverage in smart bus stops in four communities of Ijevan. |