Criminal proceedings dropped after chemical accident at Cabb
Published: Tuesday, Oct 29th 2024, 12:50
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The public prosecutor's office in the canton of Basel-Landschaft has dropped the criminal proceedings against an unknown perpetrator following the chemical accident at the Cabb company in Schweizerhalle BL last April. According to the authorities, the cause can no longer be proven because the damage was too great.
The bellows expansion joint responsible for the leakage was so badly damaged in the accident that the cause of the leak could no longer be traced despite extensive investigations, the public prosecutor's office announced on Tuesday. Criminally relevant culpability could therefore not be proven, which is why the criminal proceedings were closed with legal effect.
On April 26, there was a leak of acetyl chloride (acetic acid) at Cabb's Schweizerhalle site. This is a liquid which, according to Cabb, is used as an intermediate product. A cloud formed, which escaped through an emergency chimney and caused an unpleasant odor. The police therefore advised the public to close their windows as a precautionary measure.
No people were injured in this incident. The fire department dealt with the accident that same night. The public prosecutor's office in Basel subsequently opened criminal proceedings against unknown persons.
In recent years, the chemical company Cabb has repeatedly caused accidents, some of which have resulted in injuries and in one case even a fatality. The most recent occurred after an accident in July 2014. An employee of the company was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter by the Baselland Criminal Court in 2019. The head of department was acquitted at first instance, but was ultimately found partly guilty by the Baselland cantonal court.
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