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KAMEDO Report No. 86: Explosion in the Artificial-Fertilizer Factory in France, 2001

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2012

Louis Riddez
Affiliation:
National Board of Health and Welfare Customer Service Webstore or National Board of Health and Welfare Customer Service SE-120 88 Stockholm Fax: +46 8 779 96 67, E-mail: socialstyrelsen@strd.se
Siegfried Joussineau
Affiliation:
National Board of Health and Welfare Customer Service Webstore or National Board of Health and Welfare Customer Service SE-120 88 Stockholm Fax: +46 8 779 96 67, E-mail: socialstyrelsen@strd.se
Eva Magnusson
Affiliation:
National Board of Health and Welfare Customer Service Webstore or National Board of Health and Welfare Customer Service SE-120 88 Stockholm Fax: +46 8 779 96 67, E-mail: socialstyrelsen@strd.se

Abstract

On 21 September 2001, an earthquake triggered an explosion at an artificial fertilizer factory in Toulouse, France. As a result, 30 people were killed and 3,500 people were injured. Extensive damage hindered rescue services in their efforts to reach the factory; however, within several hours an assembly point with 60 doctors was established several kilometers from the explosion site. One hospital close to the scene needed to be temporarily evacuated.The disaster challenged rescue teams on many levels; for example, there was a question of toxicity, as well as communication difficulties due to the damaged telephone lines and clogged mobile networks.

Type
Special Report
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2007

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