July 30, 2004
By PAUL GEITNER
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) - A major natural gas pipeline exploded Friday in Belgium, killing at least 14 people and injuring about 200 others, including firefighters and police responding to a report of a leak, officials said.
The explosion in the industrial area of Ghislenghien, 20 miles southeast of Brussels, happened after construction workers pierced an underground gas distribution line.
The early morning blast could be seen and felt several miles away, shaking the ground like an earthquake. Giant orange flames soared into the sky and charred nearby cars.
Two nearby factories also caught fire, including an Electrabel building that was gutted.
Residents were advised to stay indoors with their windows and doors shut to keep out smoke that hung over the area, but the Health Ministry said it was not toxic and no evacuation was ordered.
Army units were called in to help coordinate the disaster response, which included dozens of ambulances and six military helicopters to ferry victims to area hospitals.
Officials in northern France also sent 10 vehicles, a medical unit and a helicopter.
The E429 motorway through the area was closed.
A Health Ministry spokesman said at least 14 people were killed and 200 others injured, at least two dozen seriously. Earlier, local officials had put the death toll at 15.
Gas distributor Fluxys said the line that exploded ran from the Belgian port of Zeebrugge to France. It said a leak was reported Friday morning, and the explosion was 30 minutes later.
Firefighters and police were investigating the leak when the blast occurred, and they were among the injured, according to the Interior Ministry.
The company said there were few disruptions to the overall gas supply.
Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt was returning Friday on a military aircraft from his Italian vacation in Tuscany, as was Social Affairs Minister Rudy Demotte, who was on vacation in Bulgaria.
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