HAMBURG — Police warned people in the German city of Hamburg to close their windows early on Sunday after a large fire that engulfed several warehouses sent black, chemical-laden smoke drifting over the city.

The fire broke out around 4:30 a.m. in the Rothenburgsort district, located in the eastern part of the country's second-largest city.

Several warehouses were ablaze, and the plume of smoke could be seen from miles away.

The smoke drifted from there toward the city center, halting long-distance trains between Hamburg and Berlin and other cities.

A public safety alert conveyed through a mobile phone app advised people in Hamburg to close windows, turn off ventilation and air conditioning, and avoid the area. No injuries have been reported.

Public broadcaster NDR said the fire involved containers with hydrogen sulfide, a toxic and foul-smelling substance, forcing firefighters and police officers in the area to wear breathing apparatus.

200 firefighters from the Hamburg fire brigade had brought the blaze under control by early Sunday afternoon. — Euronews