ENSCHEDE — 2000 · Major Tragedy
The Enschede Fireworks Disaster
On 13 May 2000 a fire at the S.E. Fireworks depot on Tollensstraat in Enschede's Roombeek district set off a series of massive explosions. Twenty-three people died, including four firefighters, and around 950 were injured. About 200 homes were destroyed, hundreds more badly damaged, and over 1,200 people were left homeless. The depot was the last fireworks business still located in the middle of a residential area. Some 100,000 people joined a silent march after the disaster. The Dutch government tightened rules on fireworks storage in 2002, and the Roombeek district was rebuilt from scratch.
- Date
- 2000
- Place
- Overijssel, Netherlands, Enschede, NL
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Closed
- Coordinates
- 52.2300, 6.9000 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 13 May 2000Fire and explosions tore through the fireworks depot.
- May 2000About 100,000 people joined a silent march.
- 2002The government approved new fireworks safety rules.
- 2025Enschede marked the 25th anniversary.
Sources
- DutchNews.nl — 25 years on, Enschede remembers its firework disaster dutchnews.nl ↗
- Wikipedia — Enschede fireworks disaster en.wikipedia.org ↗
- DutchNews.nl
- Wikipedia
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.