1 person dead, 4 still missing in German chemical explosion

Berlin: Company officials say a body has been recovered after an explosion at a German chemical plant. At least 16 people were injured and four remain missing following the accident in the western city of Leverkusen on Tuesday.

We are deeply concerned about this tragic accident and the death of our employee, the head of Chempark, Lars Friedrich, said in a written statement. The city of Leverkusen said that the explosion at the Chempark site, about 20 kilometres (13 miles) north of Cologne on the Rhine river, occurred in storage tanks for solvents.

The explosion at the industrial park for chemical companies shook Leverkusen, sending a large black cloud rising into the air.

Germany's Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance classified the explosion as an extreme threat and asked residents to stay inside, turn off ventilation systems and keep windows and doors closed, German news agency dpa reported. Later on Tuesday, however, the Cologne fire department tweeted that measurements of the air's pollution do not show any kind of abnormality . They said the smoke had gone down but that they would continue to measure the air for toxins.