A deadly explosion at a local chemical park in Leverkusen that has killed one person and left four missing forced local German Bundesliga team Bayer to rearrange a training session due to toxic air pollution from the blast.
READ MORE: 1 dead and at least 16 injured after HUGE explosion rocks German chemical park
Photographs circulating on social media show huge plumes of smoke billowing from a building at Chempark in Leverkusen, in Germany’s North Rhine-Westphalia, the aftermath of a blast that has so far claimed the life of one person, according to Welt TV.
Ironically, Chempark is used by chemical company Bayer, from which the football team was founded by employees of the pharmaceutical firm, then known as Friedrich Bayer and Co.
Due to the air pollution caused by the explosion, Bayer were forced to rearrange a training session scheduled for Tuesday, and the club informed fans on their Twitter account that the session will be moved to an indoor arena.
“Due to an explosion in the city of Leverkusen and the resulting unsafe air quality, today’s training has been relocated indoors,” the Bayer 04 account announced.
ℹ️ Due to an explosion in the city of Leverkusen and the resulting unsafe air quality, today’s training has been relocated indoors.
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) July 27, 2021
Reuters reports that the explosion happened at 9.40am local time, which caused a fire at the fuel depot and injured several staff, two seriously, and left five missing. One of those members of staff is understood to have died from injuries sustained in the incident.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragic accident and the death of an employee. Our special condolences go out particularly to the relatives, but also to the colleagues who have worked with him,” Chempark boss Lars Friedrich said.
Leverkusen is located just 50km away from the scene of torrential floods that claimed the lives of nearly 200 people in neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate.
In summer transfer news, the German club are reported to be in the race to sign star forward Sardar Azmoun from Zenit St. Petersburg, having already signed Russian goalkeeper Andrey Lunev from the club this summer.
