Enschede fireworks disaster

The Enschede fireworks disaster was a fire that had broken out in the S.E Fireworks depot on May 13, 2000 in the eastern Dutch town of Enschede. The fire caused an enormous explosion that left 22 dead and thousands of families homeless. The extent of the damage was estimated at half a billion euros.

The cause of the fire could not be determined. One possibility is arson, but an electrical short circuit can not be ruled out.

The fire started in the work area of the central warehouse where some 900 kilos of fireworks were stored. The fire extended to two full containers that were illegally standing outside the building. Because the fire brigade couldn't contain the fire initially, it was able to spread to a third container, which exploded shortly afterwards. A chain reaction of explosions led eventually to the destruction of the firework bunker. As a result the surrounding residential area was virtually destroyed.