Explosion At Diamant Boart Facility

GHISLENGHIEN, Belgium – A natural-gas explosion caused by a pipeline puncture on July 30 killed five Diamant Boart employees at a new factory at a local industrial area.
The blast killed 15 people and injured hundreds at the site 20 miles southeast of Brussels, according to the Associated Press. The leak in the pipeline, reported a half-hour before the explosion, was being investigated by firefighters and police at the time of the blast.
An additional dozen Diamant Boart employees were injured in the explosion, with four of them in very serious condition. Company management moved quickly to ensure immediate financial, administrational and psychological support.
“Our thoughts are with those deceased and their families and loved one, and our best wishes go to those still under medical treatment,” says Managing Director Anders Ströby.
The new factory was still being prepared for production and had a limited amount of staff on-site at the time of the accident. Some production activities will be moved back to existing Diamant Boart facilities in Brussels.