Enschede fireworks disaster
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The Enschede fireworks disaster, called Vuurwerkramp (Literally, "fireworks disaster") in Dutch, was caused by a fire which broke out in the S.E Fireworks depot on May 13, 2000 in the eastern Dutch town of Enschede. The fire led to an enormous explosion that left 23 people dead and approximately 950 injured. The biggest blast was heard as far as 60 kilometers from the scene. About 2000 homes were distroyed, leaving 1250 people homeless. The extent of the damage was estimated at half a billion euros.
The cause of the fire could not be determined. One possibility was arson, but an electrical short circuit could not be ruled out.
The fire started in the work area of the central warehouse where some 900 kg of fireworks were stored. The fire extended to two full containers that had been placed illegally outside of the building. Since the fire department could not contain the fire initially, it was able to spread to a third container, which exploded shortly afterwards. A chain reaction of explosions eventually led to the ignition of the firework bunker. As a result the surrounding residential area was virtually destroyed, and Dutch voting in the Eurovision Song Contest was suspended. This was partly to free up phone lines for the emergency services, and partly as a mark of respect.
In April 2002, the two managers of the company, Rudi Bakker and Willie Pater, were sentenced to fifteen months imprisonment for violation of environmental and safety regulations and dealing in illegal fireworks. Furthermore they were found guilty of an explosion with deadly consequences because of neglection.
In May 2002, André de V., who was accused of the arson, was sentenced to fifteen years imprisonment but this decision was later overruled by a higher court and he was acquitted.
The S.E. Fireworks disaster has lead to intensified safety regulations in The Netherlands concerning storage and sale of fireworks. The area that was distroyed by the blast has been rebuilt.
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