One person was killed and several others injured on Thursday, 13 August, when an explosion occurred at approximately 11:30 a.m. local time at a Gunvor Energy petroleum storage and refinery facility in the Europoort industrial section of the port of Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The injured were taken to hospital, and forensic investigators along with the Dutch labour inspectorate were dispatched to the scene.
One killed, several injured in explosion at Gunvor Energy facility in Rotterdam's Europoort
One person was killed and several others injured on Thursday, 13 August, when an explosion occurred at approximately 11:30 a.m. local time at a Gunvor Energy petroleum storage and refinery facility in the Europoort industrial section of the port of Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The injured were taken to hospital, and forensic investigators along with the Dutch labour inspectorate were dispatched to the scene.
Rotterdam is Europe's largest port and hosts oil refineries, liquefied natural gas terminals, and multiple petrochemical plants. Major energy firms operating there include Shell, Exxon Mobil, BP, and Gunvor Energy.
A Gunvor spokesperson stated that the incident occurred during maintenance work on a storage tank and said the company is fully cooperating with local authorities. Dutch broadcaster NOS separately reported that a maintenance team had been working on a section of pipes at the time of the blast, though authorities did not confirm that account, according to Euronews.
Police spokesperson Daan Valkenburg said investigators were considering all possible causes and had not yet reached a conclusion. According to The Independent, police reported no initial evidence of sabotage.
A damaged wall and signs of an explosion on a storage tank were visible in the area as emergency services secured the site.
A separate power failure affected another part of the port on the same day, with a transformer catching fire and prompting several companies to halt operations and evacuate workers. Both sources confirm that authorities stated the power outage was not connected to the explosion. According to The Independent, Exxon Mobil shut down all units at its 191,000 barrels-per-day refinery due to the power outage, as reported in a client note by energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie seen by Reuters.
Shell stated its site operations were unaffected by either incident, and a Rotterdam Port spokesperson confirmed that LNG terminals were also undisturbed, according to The Independent.
- The precise cause of the explosion has not been established by authorities.
- The identities of the fatality and the injured have not been reported in any source.
- The number of injured persons has not been specified beyond 'several'.
- Whether the maintenance work on the storage tank directly caused the explosion has not been confirmed by authorities.
- Exxon Mobil did not respond to a request for comment and its position on the power outage and refinery shutdown is not established beyond Wood Mackenzie's client note.
- The full extent of damage to the Gunvor facility has not been detailed.
- No timeline for the conclusion of the investigation has been provided.
- Euronews — original — by Alexis Caraco
- The Independent — by Charlotte Van Campenhout