The Dutch Safety Board, Onderzoeksraad voor Veiligheid, has opened an investigation into the explosion at Rotterdam Europoort that killed one person and injured five others on 13 August 2026. The accident occurred during pipeline dismantling at Gunvor Energy’s tank storage facility while workers were disconnecting pipelines as part of installation decommissioning.
Two Dutch Safety Board representatives attended the site on the day to conduct an initial assessment; however the cause of the explosion has not been established yet. The larger investigation will examine how the companies involved managed safety during the work, such as if it was established that the pipeline was safe to open, and whether this was communicated between workers.
In its press release, the Dutch Safety Board says: ‘Opening a pipeline is an action that occurs not only during dismantling but also during maintenance shutdowns and repairs. In this context, it is important how employees within a company determine that a pipeline can be opened safely and how they can safely communicate this message to one another. With this investigation, the Investigation Council aims to draw lessons that are relevant to other companies performing such work. Investigations by the Investigation Council emphatically do not focus on answering questions regarding fault or liability.’
