Factory fire in rouen: no hazardous substances released

The samples taken give no cause for concern, as prefect pierre-andre durand said at a press conference on friday morning. There were no casualties in the fire. The cause of the fire initially remained unclear. Schools and daycare centers in the region closed on friday. The facilities are scheduled to reopen on monday after basic cleaning. The prefecture asked the public to clean rubbish-contaminated surfaces with water only.

The fire was completely extinguished on thursday evening, according to the authorities. A gigantic smoke column had previously risen from the chemical plant. French media reported huge flames and explosions at the factory of the lubrizol company, which manufactures additives for oils.

According to the authorities, the factory in normandy belongs to the so-called seveso category of hazardous sites that are subject to special monitoring. In 1976, a devastating chemical accident occurred in the italian town of seveso near milan.