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Toulouse chemical factory explosion

Coordinates: 43°34′01″N 1°25′37″E / 43.567°N 1.427°E / 43.567; 1.427
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Toulouse chemical factory explosion
AZF from city center, 4 or 5 km (through tourist public telescope)
Date21 September 2001
VenueAZF factory
LocationToulouse, France
TypeExplosion (~20–30 tons of TNT)
CauseSodium dichloroisocyanurate and ammonium nitrate mishandling and reaction
Deaths31
Non-fatal injuries2,500

On 21 September 2001, an explosion occurred at the AZF (French initialism for AZote Fertilisant, i.e. nitrogen fertiliser) fertiliser factory in Toulouse, France, belonging to the Grande Paroisse branch of the Total group.

Three hundred tonnes of ammonium nitrate was stored (the maximum capacity was 2,000 tonnes) in hangar 221 222.[1] The entire factory was destroyed, making a crater with a depth of about 7 metres (23 ft) and a diameter of 40 metres (130 ft).[2] Steel girders were found 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) away from the explosion site.[3] The blast measured 3.4 on the Richter scale,[4] with an estimated power equivalent to 20-40 tons of TNT.[2] The explosion was heard 80 km (50 miles) away.[5] Due to the acoustics of the hills and the loud sound, the explosion was reported as occurring in multiple places. Police at first believed that at least five bombs had simultaneously gone off. There is still controversy over the exact number of explosions[according to whom?].

The factory was close to the city: one of the most inhabited areas, Le Mirail, is 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) away. Around ten percent of the inhabitants of Toulouse had to be evacuated.[6]

Victims

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The disaster caused 31 deaths, about 30 seriously wounded, and 2,500 light casualties.[7] Two thirds of the city's windows were shattered, causing 70 eye wounds.[citation needed] The total damages paid by insurance groups exceeded 1.5 billion euros.[citation needed]

Investigation

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On 4 October 2001, France's then Environment Minister Yves Cochet announced that the explosion "may have been a terrorist attack" (the explosion occurred ten days after the September 11 attacks) and identified Hassan Jandoubi, a plant sub-contractor killed in the blast, as a person under investigation. French anti-terrorist authorities were prohibited by the Toulouse prosecutor from searching Jandoubi's house for five days after the incident.[8]

Police declared that Jandoubi had "possible Islamic fundamentalist sympathies", yet by the time the search was finally conducted, they said that Jandoubi's girlfriend had disposed of all traces of his clothes and photos. Authorities described the delay as damaging to the investigation.[9][10][11][12]

In May 2006, the official investigation released a final report supporting a chemical accident theory in which sodium dichlorocyanurate mixed with 500 kg of ammonium nitrate spilled on the main nitrate pile 20 minutes before the explosion.[13]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Accident on the 21st of September 2001 at a factory belonging to the Grande Paroisse Company in Toulouse" (PDF). Health and Safety Executive. 2001-10-24. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2023-10-04. Retrieved 2021-08-12.
  2. ^ a b Barthelemy, Francois; Hornus, Henri; Roussot, Jacques; Hufschmitt, Jean-Paul; Raffoux, Jean-Francois (24 October 2001), Report of the General Inspectocorate [sic] for the Environment: Accident on the 21st of September 2001 at a factory belonging to the Grande Paroisse Company in Toulouse (PDF)
  3. ^ "Boss jailed for for[sic] AZF explosion". www.connexionfrance.com. 2012-09-23. Retrieved 2021-08-12.
  4. ^ Barbier, Pascal (2003), Urban Growth Analysis Within a High Technological Risk Area: Case of AZF Factory Explosion in Tolouse (France), Ecole Nationale des Sciences Géographiques, archived from the original on 2020-08-03, retrieved 2010-09-17
  5. ^ Marlowe, Lara. "Toulouse factory blast cuts city off from rest of France as death toll rises". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2021-08-12.
  6. ^ France, Connexion (2009-11-20). "No blame for AZF deadly explosion". www.connexionfrance.com. Retrieved 2021-08-12.
  7. ^ government report (archive)
  8. ^ Paul Seabright What Explosion? London Review of Books Nov 1 2001
  9. ^ Paul Seabright AZF: L'enquête assassinée AZF: l'enquête assassinée
  10. ^ Anti-Terror probe into French blast Archived 2007-11-03 at the Wayback Machine CNN 4 Oct 2001
  11. ^ Explosion in France may have been Terrorism Archived 2007-12-16 at the Wayback Machine The Michigan Daily, 5 Oct 2001
  12. ^ Terrorism link to French explosion The Guardian, 5 Oct 2001
  13. ^ "Explosion in the AZF fertilizer plant September 21st, 2001 Toulouse France" (PDF). April 4, 2024. Retrieved April 4, 2024.

Further reading

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Toulouse AZF factory explosion.

43°34′01″N 1°25′37″E / 43.567°N 1.427°E / 43.567; 1.427

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