Gas alarm triggers major emergency response at Berlin's Reichstag

A gas detector triggered a major emergency response at the 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 brigade, an automatic alarm was received at about 5:15 am (0415 GMT).

The building had been temporarily closed off but was reopened at around 7:30 am, a spokesman for the lower house of parliament, or Bundestag, said.

Around 80 emergency personnel were deployed to the scene to assess the situation. The fire brigade spokesman said 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 been located on-site. He suggested that a highly concentrated cleaning agent might have triggered the alert, though investigations are ongoing to establish the circumstances of the incident.

The operation resulted in morning traffic restrictions and the diversion of bus lines running alongside the parliament building, which is located in the government district in central Berlin.

Redesigned by architect Norman Foster, the historic Reichstag building has been home to the Bundestag since 1999. Visitors can walk up the iconic glass dome situated above the plenary chamber and attend sessions.