Video of 100 tons of fireworks exploding

[Brian R.]

"The residential area affected in Enschede is Mekkelholt, a close-knit community of hard-working people who had no idea that a firework storage area had landed in their laps. Until a couple of years ago the firework store had been a paper factory, and the residents of the area had no idea that a firework company had taken over the building. The mayor of Enschede Mr. J. Mans in fact declared on TV news reports that he also had not personally been aware that the firework store existed in Mekkelholt. The residents of Enschede must have surely found great comfort in this revelation."

[Umfriend]

It's been ahwile. The factory had been granted, as far as I can remember, a license to store certain amounts of gunpowder(?) to create light fireworks with. They were told at some stage that due to changed regulations, they'd have to move elsewhere but as there was no alternative (yet), they were allowed to stay for a while longer. What was present at the site at the time was however gunpowder in far larger quantities (they could not store all in the specifically designed container compartments in the building) and of more powerfull type that was not covered by the license. A further problem was that the compartments were "closed" whereas they should have been of a type that (and I am not sure how this works and what the wording should be) would not try to contain an explosion within it (which means that if it couldn't, it'd blow up big big big time). I sort of compared it to construction of Formula 1 cars up to, I think, the mid eighties where the cars would come out of a crash almost unschatched but the driver would be a shambles because the car would not absord energy so the driver would (nowadays, you see parts of the car flying everywhere, taking the energy with it and thus relaxing the strain on the driver).

Mans may well be right in his statement. As long as it is not about giving out new licenses, probably the bureacracy takes it all the way, even dealing with situation that are not in spec for a while.....

[cjolley]

Originally posted by KvHagedorn
.. and the people responsible get a slap on the hand.. this is unconscionable!

Not much better here I'm afraid.
At least it was out in the country.

http://www.ardmoreite.com/stories/070400/new_pawnee.shtml

chuck

[Admiral]

****, people died in both cases, I would've expected someone to be convicted of involuntary man-slaughter

[Umfriend]

That was one of the charges. Couldn't make it stick though.

[Mehen]

That audio wasnt actually from the fireworks exploding, that was from p diddy's last party.