Chemical accident in Mainaschaff releases orange gas cloud
A chemical accident involving nitric acid occurred at an industrial plant in Mainaschaff near Aschaffenburg on Tuesday evening. An orange gas cloud was released, lightly injuring four people. Authorities issued an all-clear in the night.
On Tuesday evening, a chemical accident took place at an industrial plant in the Lower Franconian municipality of Mainaschaff near Aschaffenburg. A large metal piece fell into a basin containing around 6000 liters of nitric acid, triggering a violent chemical reaction that produced nitrous gases. An orange gas cloud shot uncontrollably through a chimney and initially drifted northeast toward Strietwald.
Four people sustained minor injuries, though police initially reported two. Firefighters launched a major operation with about 250 personnel and cooled the basin with water to slow the reaction. The cloud's color shifted from orange to white. Using generated mist, the gas cloud was successfully suppressed. Measurements initially showed no contaminants within five kilometers.
At 18:23, authorities raised the alarm: The Federal Office for Civil Protection warned of a potentially toxic cloud that also spread over parts of Aschaffenburg. Residents in Mainaschaff and districts like Nilkheim, Schweinheim, Obernau, Gailbach, and the city center were instructed to stay indoors, close windows and doors, shut off ventilation, and take in vulnerable people. Further affected areas included Damm, Österreicher Kolonie, Leider, and Strietwald.
In the night to Wednesday, authorities lifted the warning. Measurements were deemed safe, according to the Mainaschaff municipality. An all-clear was given for Aschaffenburg's Nilkheim, Schweinheim, Obernau, Gailbach, and city center from 20:20. The reason the metal piece fell into the basin and the extent of property damage remained unclear.