Mercury scare at the rest stop: Fire brigade on duty!

Mercury scare at the rest stop: Fire brigade on duty!

Last Friday, September 12, 2025, there was a remarkable operation for the Gevelsberg fire department, which was associated with an alarming discovery of mercury. A small suitcase containing various reagents was discovered in the basement of a multi-story apartment building on Schützenstrasse. Unfortunately, a vessel was damaged and some liquid had leaked. The fire department was immediately alerted with the keyword “ABC operation – unclear substance”. fire department.de reports that the operations manager, Jan Poschmann, quickly structured the situation and sent the emergency services into the basement to investigate, wearing respiratory protection.

While the emergency services worked in full protective equipment, the building was additionally ventilated and the residents had to be temporarily evacuated. A temporary shelter was set up in the parking lot area of ​​a nearby supermarket to provide care for affected residents. After intensive investigations, it turned out that the leaked liquid was actually mercury. The team even needed support from specialized professionals and equipment to avert the danger.

Use of dangerous goods and rescue measures

The Gevelsberg fire department therefore not only requested a chemical consultant, but also the mercury spill kit from the Wuppertal fire department. The recovery of the mercury took place under special security precautions, with the liquid being carefully packaged. A decontamination point was set up on site and the contaminated protective clothing also had to be safely packaged. Although the team did everything they could, the mercury could not be completely eliminated, so the site had to be handed over to a specialist company for further cleaning. The measures lasted until the early hours of the morning and the operation was officially over at around 1:30 a.m.

In another incident that has now caught the attention of the mass media, emergency services from the Pfungstadt fire department discovered a suspicious object containing a mercury-like liquid on October 16, 2025 at around 5:30 p.m. at the Pfungstadt Ost rest area on the A67 federal motorway in the north direction. Metropolitan Journal reported that a hazardous materials operation was then immediately initiated to contain the potential danger. The rest area was closed for a short time to ensure the safety of road users.

Safety instructions and legal consequences

Analysis of the liquid revealed that it was highly toxic mercury, which is harmful to health even in small quantities. The fire department and the Merck plant fire department worked closely together to properly secure the substance and hand it over for disposal. At the same time, it was determined that there was no danger to other road users at the time. However, criminal proceedings were initiated against the driver for traffic violations and the unauthorized handling of dangerous substances.

The incidents illustrate how important it is to handle hazardous substances carefully. If an escape is suspected, you are strongly advised to leave the area immediately and contact the fire department. Disposal should be carried out via municipal collection points or specialized companies in order to avoid unnecessary risks.