KAMEDO report no. 82: explosion at the fireworks warehouse in the Netherlands in 2000

A fire and subsequent explosions occurred in a fireworks warehouse on 13 May 2000. A total of 947 persons were injured and 21 persons died, including four firefighters and one reporter. Communication networks became overloaded and impaired notification chains. The hospital disaster plan was followed, but was proved inadequate. Public information was a high priority. A counselling center was established early and was planned to continue operation for five years. The command function did not perform to expectations. Hospital triage was impaired as many responsible left the triage area. Short-term psychosocial support evolved to long-term programs. Liability issues were examined.