An explosion at an industrial park for chemical companies in Germany on Tuesday sent a large black cloud of smoke into the air in the city of Leverkusen, near Cologne.

       One person died in the blast and four are missing, officials said in a news conference after the fire was extinguished.

       Support our journalism. Subscribe today. arrow-right

       “We hope that we can rescue the missing people alive,” said Lars Friedrich, head of Chempark.

       In a message on Twitter, the Cologne city fire department wrote that the air in the region appeared to be safe despite the smoke, with “no abnormalities in the Cologne city area.” Authorities would continue to monitor the situation, the department said.

       The fire that caused the explosion began at the Bürrig waste disposal center at about 9:40 a.m. local time, Chempark said in a statement. What caused the fire was not immediately known.

       Advertisement

       Story continues below advertisement

       Sirens and warning apps were activated to warn the nearby public. Leverkusen residents were asked to head inside, turn off air conditioners, and keep windows and doors closed as a precaution.

       Non-emergency workers were sent home from the plant due to a potentially unsafe electricity supply, officials said at the news conference.

       William Glucroft in Berlin contributed to this report.

       Read more:

       On one street in Germany’s floods: Terror, survival, tragedy and the house that floated away

       In aftermath of German floods, fires burn in southern Europe as rains drench London

       Germany moves quickly on flood-relief package