An explosion in a chemical plant injures five in Alsace

An explosion in a chemical plant in southern Alsace on Wednesday left five injured "in relative emergency", we learned from the Haut-Rhin prefecture. The explosion occurred at the Butachimie company in Chalampé, in a retention pit located in a production workshop, the prefecture said. The site is classified Seveso high threshold. "The first elements suggest that there is no danger for the population," the same source said. Butachimie, for its part, specified that the explosion had occurred at 1:40 p.m. The site is close to Basel in Switzerland, and Friborg in Germany. “The incident is under control. We will make every effort to determine the causes, in collaboration with the various experts, “said a communication manager for the company.

Butachimie is a production site for nylon components. The Chalampé plant thus produces 35% of the world's adiponitrile, a highly toxic organic compound, according to the company's website. According to the local daily newspaper L'Alsace, 1,150 employees from partner companies are present on site. The site is currently shut down for regulatory checks, inspections and maintenance work, the newspaper writes.