Blast Injures 4 at Plant of Chemical Giant BASF in Central Germany

Four people were injured Monday in an explosion at a facility of Germany’s leading chemical firm BASF, local media reported.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The chemical giant confirmed on Twitter that an "explosion with several injured" occurred at around 11:30 a.m. (09:30 GMT) at a factory in the town of Ludwigshafen in the state of Hesse.

The local television channel RNF said that a filter combusted inside a unit used to make plastic additives, prompting its shutdown.

BASF did not give any details on the cause of the explosion. It asked residents in the area to avoid going outside and keep windows shut while the incident was being investigated.