Process Safety - Effects of a Natural gas line rupture

Belgium's worst ever industrial disaster occurred on on July 30, 2004. At about 8:30am local time, people felt a strong smell of gas. The gas was leaking from an underground natural gas pipeline. Emergency responders arrived and were clearing the area when the gas caught fire and exploded. The official death toll was reported as 24. Please see graphic descriptions of the incident and its effects in this link.