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A fire that devastated a river — and sparked its rejuvenation

Exactly 40 years ago, there was a fire in an agrochemical warehouse of Sandoz near Basel, Switzerland, on November 1, 1986.

Hohenzollern Bridge in Cologne where couples attach locks and throw keys into the Rhine

5 min read Nov 1, 2026 07:21 AM IST First published on: Nov 1, 2026 at 06:20 AM IST

Exactly 40 years ago, there was a fire in an agrochemical warehouse of Sandoz near Basel, Switzerland, on November 1, 1986. To control the flame, firemen used gallons of water, which washed tonnes of toxic chemicals into the Rhine River, killing its fish, including salmon and other aquatic life. The visuals of dead fish floating to riverbanks sent shockwaves across Europe. The incident was close on the heels of two environmental disasters, Bhopal (December, 1984) and Chernobyl (April, 1986), images of which were fresh in public memory.…