GHISLENGHIEN — 2004 · Major Tragedy
Ghislenghien Gas Explosion
At 08:56 on the morning of 30 July 2004, a high-pressure natural gas pipeline operated by Fluxys exploded in the Ghislenghien industrial zone near Ath. The pipeline had been damaged weeks earlier by construction machinery during earthworks for a factory expansion. A smell of gas had been noticed that morning and the fire brigade called; a huge column of flame rose in front of the crews at the scene and set the surroundings alight. Twenty-four people died, including five firefighters and a police officer, and 132 were injured, many with severe burns. On appeal in 2011, the court held pipeline operator Fluxys and factory owner Diamant Boart responsible. The disaster led to a reorganisation of Belgium's civil protection and fire services.
- Date
- 2004
- Place
- Hainaut, Belgium, Ghislenghien, BE
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Closed
- Coordinates
- 50.6580, 3.8790 ↗
Timeline of Events
- June–July 2004The pipeline was damaged during earthworks.
- 30 July 2004, 08:56The pipeline exploded; 24 people died and 132 were injured.
- 2007A civil security reform law was passed in the wake of the disaster.
- 2010The Tournai court delivered its first-instance verdict.
- June 2011The appeal court held Fluxys and Diamant Boart responsible.
Sources
- RTBF — Le procès d'appel Ghislenghien en quelques chiffres rtbf.be ↗
- Le Soir — Ghislenghien, 30 juillet 2004 lesoir.be ↗
- Wikipedia (FR) — Catastrophe de Ghislenghien fr.wikipedia.org ↗
- RTBF
- Le Soir
- 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.
Related Cases
More cases from the 2000s
Categories
Collections
🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.