A dark cloud of smoke rises above the chemical park in Leverkusen, Germany, on Tuesday. AP

Five people were missing and several injured after an explosion at an industrial park for chemical companies shook the German city of Leverkusen on Tuesday.

The explosion rocked the entire industrial park in the western Germany and sent a column of black smoke into the air, with officials urging residents to shelter indoors and close their windows.

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Operators of the Chempark site in Leverkusen, about 20 kilometres (13 miles) north of Cologne on the Rhine river, said the cause of the explosion was unclear.

Residents said the blast could be heard far and wide, with some saying their windows were rattled by the force of the explosion.

Emergency vehicles stand not far from an access road to the Chempark in Leverkusen, Germany, on Tuesday. AP

Many shared images on social media of the smoke billowing from the chemical site in Leverkusen's Buerrig district, which houses several well-known companies including Bayer, Evonik Industries and Lanxess.

Daily Koelner Stadt-Anzeiger reported that the explosion took place in the Buerrig neighbourhood at a garbage incineration plant of the chemical park.

The paper reported that the smoke cloud was moving in a northwestern direction toward the towns of Burscheid and Leichlingen. It said firefighters from all over the region had been called in to help extinguish the fire.

Local media reported that the explosion appears to have originated from a hazardous waste incineration plant on the site.