Residents of a housing building on Panzer Kaserne in Stuttgart, Germany, were told to go indoors and close all doors and windows Wednesday after reports of a chemical leak. (Gunner Saunders/U.S. Army)
A chemical leak at the Panzer Housing Area at U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart in southern Germany was contained and cleaned up by midafternoon Wednesday, officials said, declaring the area safe.
The incident involved a liquid chlorine leak at building 3165, a non-residential Department of Public Works building on Panzer Kaserne, officials told Stars and Stripes in an email.
Workers reported the leak around noon, according to the statement. Firefighters from Boeblingen and the garrison responded and “contained and stopped the leak” by about 1:10 p.m., officials said.
Cleanup and decontamination procedures were completed by 2:45 p.m., and a shelter-in-place order for nearby personnel was lifted at 3:30 p.m.
“USAG Stuttgart Fire and Emergency Service personnel departed the area, and the incident was declared ‘all clear’ at approximately 4:10 p.m.,” Dayna Rowden, a garrison spokesperson, said.
Earlier, the garrison issued a community alert, warning residents and others nearby to shelter in place and avoid the area.
The affected building is located within the family housing area on Panzer Kaserne and is adjacent to the Children and Youth Services Youth Sports and Fitness Office, according to publicly available installation maps.
Officials added that all children assigned to the School-Age Center were located at another building in the installation’s Panzer Kaserne area at the time of the leak.
Chlorine is a hazardous chemical commonly used in cleaning and water treatment systems. Exposure can irritate the eyes, skin and lungs and could cause serious breathing problems.
