Acid spill closes A57 near Krefeld
An overturned lorry leaked nitric acid, disrupting traffic and rail services around the German city.
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A lorry crash near Krefeld led to a major emergency response on Friday morning. Nitric acid leaked from the overturned lorry, prompting the closure of the A57 and nearby rail services.
The crash occurred at around 2.45am near the entrance to the A57 in Krefeld-Zentrum. According to local emergency services, the lorry was carrying nitric acid. Firefighters tried to seal the leak and contain the liquid, while specialist units pumped the acid out of the tank.
The lorry driver was injured. No further information is available about the seriousness of those injuries. The authorities established a safety zone of about 1,000 metres around the site and urged residents in the affected area to remain indoors.
The A57 was closed in both directions between Krefeld-Gartenstadt and Krefeld-Oppum. Rail services around Krefeld were also temporarily suspended, according to reports. Several regional trains were cancelled; buses were deployed for some services.
Schools and nurseries in the immediate vicinity remained closed on Friday. The warning issued by the German authorities refers to a hazardous substance released at the junction of Berliner Straße and the A57. The closure was initially expected to last until around midday, according to the fire service, but its final duration could still change.
Nitric acid is a corrosive and hazardous substance that can pose risks to people and the environment in an accident. Reports do not indicate that residents outside the immediate safety zone were at risk. It has also not yet been established what caused the lorry to overturn. For Dutch travellers and haulage companies, the closure could mainly affect routes and connections in the border region.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The main facts come from a current local news source and an official German warning. Details not confirmed by the sources, such as the cause and the quantity of acid released, have not been presented as facts.
- confirmed A lorry overturned at the junction with the A57 in Krefeld. — Radio K.W. gives the time and location of the crash. source
- confirmed The lorry was carrying nitric acid and a hazardous substance leaked. — Local reports mention nitric acid; the official warning confirms that a hazardous substance was released. source
- confirmed The driver was injured. — According to Radio K.W., the fire service reported that the driver was injured. source
- confirmed A 1,000-metre safety zone was in place and residents had to remain indoors. — These measures are mentioned in the local report. source
- confirmed The A57 and rail services around Krefeld were closed. — Radio K.W. describes the road closure and the suspension of rail services. source
Editor's note
The crash, the leak, the safety zone and the traffic measures have been confirmed by local reports and the official German warning. The cause of the crash, the precise quantity of acid and the duration of the closures remain unknown.Sources
- Säureunfall in Krefeld legt Autobahn und Bahn lahm — Radio K.W.
- Aktuelle Warnmeldung: Schadstofffreisetzung in Krefeld — Bundesamt für Bevölkerungsschutz und Katastrophenhilfe
More on this in Dutch media
- De Telegraaf — „krefeld duitsland”
- AD — „krefeld duitsland”
- de Volkskrant — „krefeld duitsland”