Several people were missing and others were injured after an explosion Monday at a chemical plant at BASF’s headquarters in western Germany, the firm said, advising local residents to stay indoors. “Emergency services from the whole region are on the scene to prevent the fire spreading to other parts of the plant,” Ludwigshafen city authorities said in a statement. The site’s steam cracker units -- used for a chemical procedure to produce lighter hydrocarbons -- have been shut down for safety reasons, it added. The Landeshafen Nord site where the explosion took place is a harbour used for the transportation of combustible fluids and liquefied gases. BASF is a global giant in the chemical industry, employing over 110,000 employees worldwide and with sales of more than 70 billion euros ($77 billion) last year.

Source: Hindustan Times October 17, 2016 12:21 UTC