Blast at Rotterdam Port: Industrial Explosion at Chemical Storage Site Injures Three Workers, Triggers Evacuation

Rotterdam, Netherlands— Three workers were injured after an industrial explosion ripped through a chemical storage site in Rotterdam Port on October 22, 2026.

The blast hit at 10:35 a.m. at a storage terminal on the Maasvlakte, where large tanks hold industrial solvents and fuels. Workers were transferring product between tanks when pressure built in a line. A seal failed. Vapor escaped and ignited. The explosion blew out a tank roof and set fire to a bund.

Two workers near the manifold were thrown back. A third, operating a valve station, suffered flash burns. All three were wearing protective gear. Colleagues pulled them clear and triggered the site emergency alarm. Sirens sounded across the terminal.

The port fire brigade arrived with foam trucks and hazmat units. They found a pool fire burning under one tank and smoke drifting toward other storage. A 300-meter exclusion zone was set. Shipping movements nearby were paused.

“We had a vapor cloud that found an ignition source. The blast was contained but the fire risk to adjacent tanks was real,” said a Rotterdam-Rijnmond safety region spokesman. “Crews cooled surrounding tanks while fighting the main fire.”

The injured were taken to Maasstad Hospital and then to the burn center in Beverwijk. One is critical with burns to face and hands. Two are serious but stable with burns and smoke inhalation. Their families have been notified.

Air monitoring units were deployed downwind along the coast. Early readings showed no dangerous levels outside the terminal fence, but residents were advised to keep windows closed for two hours as a precaution. The port authority said no chemical release reached the water.

The terminal operator said the affected tank had passed inspection in September and its pressure relief system was serviced last month. Inspectors have seized logs, sensor data and maintenance records. The Dutch Labor Inspectorate and the Environment Agency have opened a joint inquiry.

Operations at the terminal remain suspended. The fire was declared under control after two hours. The cause remains under investigation.