Fire on collecting grounds in Hamm: Risk of asbestos after the cooling tower fire!

Fire on collecting grounds in Hamm: Risk of asbestos after the cooling tower fire!

in Hamm, a dramatic misfortune occurred on Monday, November 4th, on which Heinrich Robert collapsed: A cooling tower opened in flames and caused panic scenes. The fire brigade was able to prevent the flames from spreading to neighboring gas bottles and a tank. Fortunately, the three workers in the tower were saved in good time, which prevented worse. The flames hit up to ten meters high and were visible throughout the city, which made concerned residents on alert.

But the situation continued to escalate: After the fire, dangerous asbestos debris were discovered, which the ash rain had fallen on several properties. The State Office for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection North Rhine-Westphalia (LANUV) warned the residents of Goerallee and Hoppestrasse to leave their houses. As a result, 24 people, including 20 adults and four children, had to be evacuated. The city administration has pronounced bans for seven houses nearby, while the residents ran through their streets to examine the spread of the dangerous asbestos.

evacuation and warnings after asbestos finds

The residents are unsettled. Many reported asbestos in their gardens, roofs and even in their living rooms. The city administration has set up a hotline to assist the citizens concerned. The LANUV has taken samples to find out which type of asbestos was released. In the meantime, the situation remains tense: the police have initiated investigations, but does not assume a crime. No personal injury was reported, but the cleanup will probably still be dragging on due to the dangerous rubble.

The fire brigade and environmental officials are still on site to monitor the situation and inform the residents about the next steps. The answers to the urgent questions of the citizens are long in coming, while the city administration assures that it is to do everything to ensure the security of the citizens.