20 years since the Ghislenghien disaster: could such a tragedy happen today?

It was 20 years ago to the day. On July 30, 2004, a gas pipe exploded in the industrial zone of Ghislenghien, in Hainaut. A disaster with a very heavy toll: 24 dead and 132 injured. This Tuesday morning, a poignant tribute was paid on site to the victims.

Around three hundred people paid tribute this Tuesday morning to the victims of the Ghislenghien (Ath) disaster, which occurred 20 years ago, precisely on 30 July 2004, at 8:57 am. The brief ceremony took place in the presence of the mayor of Ath, Eddy Maillet – at the time head of the local police zone, who had activated the emergency plan – and a representative of the King.

In silence, all the participants filed into the memorial stele installed not far from the site of the explosion. Among those present were also many relatives and family members of the victims.

A column of flames 200 meters high

The accident was caused by the explosion of a high-pressure gas pipeline. The pipeline had been damaged a few days earlier by construction equipment on the site of a factory under construction by the Diamant Boart company. A column of flames, visible from several kilometres away, rose to a height of around 200 metres and burned for around twenty minutes.

The Ghislenghien industrial disaster, one of the deadliest in the country, left 24 dead, including five firefighters, a police officer, an Electrabel agent and people who were walking near the industrial zone site, as well as 132 injured.

A national day of mourning was declared on August 4, 2004. Seven of the victims were given a national funeral. The families of the 11 other deceased identified so far preferred a more intimate tribute.

The Ghislenghien disaster led to the implementation of the reform of Belgian civil security and the creation of rescue zones.

What lessons have been learned from this disaster?

This disaster was therefore one of the worst that we have known in Belgium and at the time, certain dysfunctions had been noted. Many things changed after this tragedy: a whole series of reforms were put in place, including the creation of fire zones which allow the emergency services to intervene across an entire region. Twenty years ago, when the events took place, the firefighters worked at the municipal level and therefore each municipality worked on its own. This caused communication problems at the time. Precious time was lost.

Another important element: maps of the gas pipes have been created. They are now accessible to everyone. This was not the case at that time. Let us recall that a few days before the explosion, a construction machine had hit an obstacle: the famous gas pipeline which ended up exploding.

Added to this, of course, are the technological advances that also allow for greater safety today. The question: could such a disaster still occur today? It is difficult to answer with certainty since zero risk does not exist, but it seems unlikely in any case. All these tools should make it possible to avoid an error or at least to spot it quickly before it leads to a disaster.