Hydrochloric acid leaked from a truck at a motorway service station on the A1 near Cologne. The firefighters who were summoned only approach the scene with breathing masks. There are significant traffic restrictions, the population should keep doors and windows closed.
A tanker truck loses hydrochloric acid at a motorway service area on the A1 near Cologne-Hürth. The fire brigade of the Rhein-Erft district moved out with a large contingent. About 100 forces are in action. “A tanker truck at the service area loses hydrochloric acid. The evaporation causes a significant odor nuisance. This is dangerous because hydrochloric acid attacks and can destroy the olfactory nerves when evaporating,” said a fire department spokesman for the German Press Agency.
The police blocked the A1 extensively in both directions. The firefighters directly at the scene are wearing respiratory protection. A small farmstead in the hamlet of Brüggen west of the affected Ville Ost service area had previously been cleared as a precaution. About 20 people were affected, according to the fire department spokesman. The warning app NINA should also be triggered to warn the population. People in the area should keep doors and windows closed and turn off air conditioning.
A special vehicle was requested to pump the leaking and dangerous chemical out of the truck. There are significant traffic disruptions. “The police have initiated extensive blocking measures,” said a police spokesman. The Autobahn GmbH announced that the A1 is completely closed in both directions between the Erftstadt motorway junction in the south and the Cologne West motorway junction in the north.
All junctions in this area are also not accessible. Traffic will be diverted from the Erfttal motorway junction via the A61, which is actually closed, to the Kerpen motorway junction. From the Türnich junction, only a narrow lane is available. The A61 will only be opened for the duration of the full closure of the A1, it said. Drivers have been asked to avoid the area as much as possible.