Law enforcement authorities in Berlin still cannot name the exact cause of the fire on the territory of the Diehl Metal Applications enterprise, which is part of the defense-industrial concern Diehl Group.
„Berlin police are investigating the cause of the fire. Due to the fact that the fire is still being extinguished, the investigation is at an early stage”, said a representative of the Berlin police.
The fire started on Friday around 10:30 local time in one of the technical rooms.
Due to the threat of toxic air pollution, residents of surrounding areas are advised to take precautions and stay indoors.
The area of the fire, according to preliminary data, exceeds 2,000 square meters, the newspaper Tagesspiegel reported. Four floors of the factory building were burned, part of the building collapsed, fire department representative Adrian Wenzel told Bild newspaper.
The fire started in a technical room, and initially no one was injured, everyone managed to leave the dangerous area on their own.
The enterprise stored sulfuric acid and copper cyanide, which created a danger of air pollution with toxic substances.
The area around the plant is cordoned off by police, who use loudspeakers to warn residents of the danger of poisoning. Authorities in Berlin issued a danger alert and students and teachers from surrounding schools were sent home. Firefighters are advising local residents to close windows, turn off ventilation and air conditioning and stay out of their homes. Measurements of the state of the atmospheric environment were carried out in the city, and the presence of harmful substances was registered near the enterprise.