200,000 liters of oil leaked from a pipeline near Berlin
A major oil spill occurred in Brandenburg, Germany, due to an accident in a pipeline near the PCK oil refinery in Schwedt. Emergency teams intervened immediately, but authorities have not yet confirmed the full extent of the spill or its cause.
The Brandenburg Ministry of the Environment reported that the incident affected a pipeline connecting the refinery to the port of Rostock on the Baltic Sea. Initial estimates indicate a leak of about 200,000 liters (approximately 52,835 gallons) of crude oil from a pumping station in Grambow.
Alexander Train from the Schwedt Fire Department said that the pipeline pressure reached about 20 bar (about 290 psi), causing oil to surge several meters. About 100 firefighters and 25 company employees worked to contain and clean up the spill using specialized equipment.
The PCK refinery is located near the Polish border and is one of the largest refineries in Germany, processing 11.5 million metric tons of oil annually. Officials confirmed that any deliberate external intervention has been ruled out as a cause of the incident. By evening, most of the leak had been sealed, although a slight leak continued.
The leak threatens natural reserves and forests near the Oder River, which forms part of the border with Poland. Cleanup operations are still ongoing, and authorities warned of continued environmental monitoring on Thursday to prevent any further damage.