Gas alarm at Germany’s Reichstag triggers major emergency response

A gas detector triggered a major emergency response at Germany’s Reichstag parliament building in Berlin early on Thursday.

A spokesman for the fire department told dpa that, based on current information, a small amount of a hazardous substance had most likely escaped. According to the fire department, an automatic alarm was received at about 5:15 am (0415 GMT).

Around 80 emergency personnel were deployed to the scene to assess the situation. A spokesman confirmed that responders had entered the room from which the alarm originated and that a decontamination station had been established as a safety precaution.

The spokesman noted that a cleaning concentrate had already been located on-site. He suggested that an excessively high concentration of a cleaning agent might have triggered the alert, though this remained subject to further investigation.

The operation resulted in morning traffic restrictions and the diversion of bus lines running alongside the parliament building.