Last Sunday, a chemical accident occurred at the BYK site in Kempen. An explosion of one of the tanks blew up the roof of the warehouse building, as reported by the fire department. According to media reports, several firefighters were slightly injured in the detonation, but were released from the hospital by midday. In Kempen, around 50 BYK employees produce precursors for coatings, including for the automotive and plastics industries.
According to the company, toluene-2,4-diisocyanate, which is used by BYK-Chemie to manufacture additives for paint and coatings applications, was stored in the tank, which holds approximately 10,000 liters. The extent of the property damage has not yet been disclosed. According to the company spokesman, the extinguishing water will initially be pumped out into disposal tanks, and the tanks will be emptied if necessary after inspection by an expert.