Dusseldorf: 40 Injured After Mysterious Gas is Released in Airport
Forty people have been lightly injured after a mysterious gas started leaking into the airport terminal of Dusseldorf.
Travel agency
The incident happened this afternoon (Saturday) at Dusseldorf International Airport, Germany’s third biggest airport by passenger traffic after Frankfurt and Munich. According to local media reports, 40 airport employees suddenly complained about irritations to their eyes and respiratory tract. No passengers were affected by the mysterious gas.
Travel market
The affected people worked at multiple agencies at the so-called Travel Market at the airport. The travel market is an area in Terminal B with 40 travel agency offices located before security and passport control and is accessible to everyone. It is especially popular among locals to book flight tickets or a last-minute holiday abroad.
An airport spokesman said: “The employees were treated on site by emergency personnel, but nobody had to go to the hospital.”
Unknown cause
According to the police, it is not known what kind of gas caused the sudden health problems among the airport employees. A police spokesman said that they cannot rule out that an irritant gas such as pepper spray was deliberately sprayed or released in the air by someone. The spokesman also added that a technical defect could have caused the incident.
The police reported that on-site air measurements were made by experts. However, no substance could be detected in the air. Official investigations are ongoing.
Flight traffic
According to the airport spokesman, flight traffic at the airport serving the state capital of North Rhine-Westphalia was not affected by the incident.
Airline news and flight deals
If you don’t want to miss out on the latest airline and travel news, or want to receive the best flight ticket deals, make sure to regularly check the Paliparan website and our special flight deals section. Or subscribe to our Facebook, Twitter or Instagram pages to receive instant updates!
