In a major fire in a commercial area in Hamburg this morning, several warehouses went up in flames. This resulted in a huge cloud of smoke in the Rothenburgsort district, which moved towards the city centre. “Hamburg city center is completely blacked out,” said a fire department spokesman in the morning. According to initial findings, no one was injured.
However, the fire brigade warned of the smoke, asked people to keep windows and doors closed and to turn off air conditioning and ventilation.
Highest warning level
The rail traffic from Hamburg to the east was partially stopped during the extinguishing work. How the big fire started around 4.30 a.m. on Easter night or what exactly was in the burning warehouses is not yet known.
At around 7.30 a.m., the highest possible warning level for large parts of Hamburg was announced via a warning system. About 40 people living near the scene of the fire were taken to safety.
Around 1:00 p.m., the police cautiously gave the all-clear. The official warning remains in place, but “no increased readings are currently being found,” said the situation center.
