After the big fire at the Salzburg slaughterhouse last weekend, more than 400 tons of meat had to be removed because it was damaged by the fire. The delivery and slaughter of live animals is currently no longer possible, but the cutting can continue, Michael Haybäck, head of the district administration of the city of Salzburg, told a broadcast on Monday afternoon.
Company spokesman Volker Pulskamp was unable to provide any information on Monday about the extent of the damage. According to Haybäck, more than 400 tons of meat have to be removed, which is more than half a week of processing time and corresponds to the live weight of about 600 adult cattle. “We have confiscated and banned any meat that became contaminated. It is currently being monitored where and how it can be disposed of,” said Christophorus Huber, head of the Salzburg City Market and Veterinary Office.
“Dismantling installation does not suffer from fire”
On Monday, representatives of the professional fire service and the police, fire experts, representatives of owners, building authorities, structural engineers, construction companies, market and veterinary authorities and the district administration investigated the situation. In any case, the burnt-out hall is in danger of collapsing. “Because it is connected to other parts of the building, the delivery of live animals cannot be allowed again until it is certain that everything is structurally in order here. The existing cutting plant is not affected by the fire and can be continued with meat halves supplied externally,” says Haybäck. There are no bottlenecks in the catering industry in the region, for example because of the failure of Salzburg is compensated by other production companies, according to Pulskamp.
Risk of collapse makes it difficult to determine the cause
According to fire expert Walter Kittl, the hall cannot be entered due to the acute danger of collapse. “We have therefore asked for a special device with a 17-meter telescopic arm and gripping pliers to determine the cause of the fire. This will bring out the fire remains, which we will then examine in detail. We know where the first fire alarm went off. But you can’t go there because a beam has broken off.” Research is being done in all directions. Surveillance camera footage would also be evaluated.
Prevent ammonia leakage
The fire at the Alpenrind slaughterhouse, according to the company the largest meat producer in Western Austria, broke out on Sunday night in a warehouse for cardboard boxes and foil. About 120 volunteer and professional firefighters join forces to fight the fire. A feared leak of toxic ammonia from the cooling system on the roof was prevented.
Alpenrind is part of the OSI Group, an American company with more than 20,000 employees. At the location Salzburg employs approximately 130 of its own employees and another 200 through employment agencies. Almost 82,000 cattle are processed annually and the turnover in 2020 amounted to almost 232 million euros.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
