Ammunition explosion

At 13:10 on 12 June 1967, Utrecht was shocked by a catastrophic munitions disaster. This disaster occurred when a Defence munitions ship, loaded with tens of thousands of kilos of rejected munitions, exploded in the Kernhaven on the Lage Weide industrial estate. The cause of the fire that led to the explosion has never been fully clarified.

The impact of the explosion was devastating. A fisherman and an employee of the nearby Philips factory lost their lives, and about 140 people were injured and had to be taken to hospital. The force of the blast was so great that parts of the ship landed on the quay. The explosion also caused significant damage to buildings in the wider area, including the PEGUS power plant, the Philips factory and many homes. Remarkably, a large gas holder was spared, while the underpressure of the explosion pushed out the shutters of a HEMA warehouse. Unexploded ammunition was hurled up to a kilometre in the perimeter.

The total damage from the disaster ran into millions of guilders at the time. Years later, during the deepening of the Kernhaven around 2009, remnants of the disaster were still found, including brisant grenades and part of a rocket. This munitions disaster remains a dark page in Utrecht's history.