The world’s biggest chemical company BASF says it believes two of its employees died in an explosion at a plant in Germany.<br /><br /> Six people were severely injured and two people are still missing, the company said.<br /><br /> The blast happened at the Ludwigshafen site on the river Rhine about 50 kilometres south of Frankfurt.<br /><br /> It’s the company’s headquarters and the world’s largest chemical complex.<br /><br /> The explosion was preceded by a fire in a pipeline between an area where liquids are stored and storage tanks.<br /><br /> The blast happened after the company’s fire service arrived.<br /><br /> Several facilities near the blast site were shut down for safety reasons.<br /><br /> The authorities advised people in the surrounding area to avoid going outside but there was said to be no danger to the population.<br /><br /> A separate earlier blast at another BASF site in Germany injured four people.<br /><br /> The company is investigating what caused both explosions.<br />
