Is Hamburg safe? Travel update after suspicious TOXIC leak in German airport
HAMBURG is a popular city to visit in Germany but its safety has been called into question after scores of people were struck down by a suspicious toxic leak inside the airport.
Hamburg firefighters confirm 68 injured from toxin at airport
The second largest city in Germany and eighth largest in the EU, Hamburg has long been a tourist favourite.
With its close proximity to the UK, Hamburg sees a regular influx of British travellers.
The whole site has been evacuated as fire crews work to contain a suspicious leak of gas or toxin that was released inside the airport.
Hamburg travel advice: The German airport has been hit with a suspicious toxic leak
Flights from Hamburg Airport have been grounded and those incoming have been diverted
At least 68 people are believed to have been injured by the leak, which may have come through the air-conditioning system or manually released by a passenger or staff member.
Flights from the airport have been grounded and those incoming have been diverted as emergency services investigate the worrying issue.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is yet to update its travel advice for Germany, but it has issued multiple warnings about travelling to the country over the last year.
There is a high threat from terrorism throughout the nation after a slew of terror attacks in recent months.
Hamburg travel advice: At least 68 people have been injured by a toxic leak inside the airport
The FCO warned: “Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in public places visited by foreigners.
“The German government has announced that increased security has been put in place as a precaution at public buildings, major events, transport hubs and large public gatherings.”
On December 19, a truck ploughed into a Christmas market in Berlin, killing at least 12 people.
In October last year, a teenage boy was killed in a stabbing attack in Hamburg. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the incident but it was later deemed by police that this was unlikely.
Hamburg travel advice: All flights have been grounded at the airport and others have been diverted
In July, nine people were killed in a terrorist shooting incident at a shopping centurion Munich.
Crime levels in Germany are deemed broadly similar to the UK, but the FCO lists airports as a site to exercise extra precaution.
The FCO said: “Be particularly vigilant at airports, railway stations and crowded public gatherings. Do not leave valuables unattended.”
But there are some two million British visitors to Germany every year and the FCO advises that most of these visits are trouble-free.