Explosion at German chemical complex declared extreme threat

An explosion at an industrial park for chemical companies has shaken the German city of Leverkusen, sending a large black cloud rising into the air

BERLIN -- An explosion at an industrial park for chemical companies shook the German city of Leverkusen on Tuesday, 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 and keep windows and doors closed, German news agency dpa reported. Operators of the Chempark site in Leverkusen, about 20 kilometers (13 miles) north of Cologne on the Rhine river, said the cause of the explosion was unclear. They said on Twitter that firefighters and pollution detection vans had been deployed.