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6 missing, residents warned to shelter after deadly harbor blast

BERLIN -- Six people were injured and one killed Monday in an explosion at a facility belonging to chemical firm BASF in southwestern Germany, officials said.

BASF said six others were still unaccounted for following the late-morning explosion at a river harbor in Ludwigshafen that is used to unload flammable liquids and liquid gas.

Fire department officials in the city confirmed the only known death, but the condition of the six people missing remained unclear.

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Fire and smoke rise from a facility of chemicals giant BASF in Ludwigshafen, Germany, where several people were injured by an explosion, Oct. 17, 2016. REUTERS

There was no immediate word on the cause of the explosion.

Residents in parts of Ludwigshafen, where BASF is based, and Mannheim, on the other side of the Rhine river, were advised to stay indoors and keep their doors and windows closed, but the company said there was no immediate indication of a risk to the public.

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