Due to a possible dangerous goods accident, Singen’s city center was cordoned off on Thursday as a precaution. The police spoke of an unclear danger situation.
A police spokeswoman said that the smell of gas was reported from an underground car park at midday. Some buildings were evacuated. A major operation was underway in the city center. Firefighters, police, rescue services and specialists for hazardous materials were on site. Paramedics in protective suits were also seen.
People have been injured when gas or a hazardous substance escapes. When asked on Thursday evening, a police spokesman spoke of a “low single-digit number” of injuries, although no further details were initially available. The injured suffered skin or respiratory irritation. Around 20 other people were contaminated and had symptoms but were not injured.
The fire department is trying to find out what kind of gas or substance it is, it said. The responsible district office also reported in the evening: “It is currently unclear what the substance is.” A smell of gas was reported from an underground car park at midday. According to police, part of the city center was evacuated.
According to the police, they were checking whether there was a connection to an irritant gas incident that morning in a law firm in downtown Singen. According to information, two masked perpetrators sprayed irritant gas and fled. A suspect was arrested.
A major operation was underway all day in the municipality around 30 kilometers northwest of Konstanz. Firefighters, police, rescue services and specialists for hazardous materials were reportedly on site. Paramedics in protective suits were also seen.
The district of Konstanz spoke of a dangerous situation due to a gas leak – this situation continued into the evening. “In order to ensure the greatest possible safety for the population, all necessary safety measures were initiated by the emergency services,” it said in a statement.
Residents of the city of 50,000 residents not far from Lake Constance were asked via a warning app to close windows and doors and turn off the ventilation and air conditioning systems. The app also advised people to avoid the city center.
So-called decontamination units and treatment centers were set up on site to provide emergency care to those affected, as the district office further reported.
