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Explosion at Port of Rotterdam Kills One, Injures Several

Investigators are probing whether pipeline maintenance or earlier power outages caused the blast.

Overview

  • An explosion on Moezelweg in the Europoort section of the Port of Rotterdam killed one person and injured several others during late-morning activity on Thursday.
  • Emergency teams sent multiple ambulances, a trauma helicopter and fire crews to the scene and transported injured people to hospital for treatment.
  • The blast occurred at or near a Gunvor Energy storage site where a hired maintenance crew was reportedly working on pipelines and the company says it is cooperating with authorities.
  • Rotterdam police have cordoned the area as a crime scene and the labour inspectorate and the Rotterdam-Rijnmond safety authority are jointly investigating the cause and any link to earlier port power outages.
  • The Port of Rotterdam hosts refineries, storage tanks and LNG terminals so investigators and operators are monitoring safety and operations closely while the probe continues.