Shutterstock [for illustration]
An explosion at the Netherlands’ Rotterdam port has caused one death and wounded several others, a Rotterdam police spokesperson said on Thursday, adding that the cause of the explosion was still unclear and was currently being investigated.
“An explosion occurred on the Moezelweg (road) around 11:30 a.m. (0930 GMT). We are investigating how this happened”, Rotterdam police said in a post on X.
“The crime scene has been cordoned off.”
Simultaneously, Gunvor Energy, which operates oil product storage tanks in the same area near the port, reported a separate ‘incident’ during maintenance activity that had left at least several people injured on Thursday morning, a spokesperson said.
“We are cooperating with local authorities,” the spokesperson for Gunvor said.
Local media reported that there had been several power outages at Rotterdam port earlier on Thursday.
Local safety authorities and police said they were still investigating if there was a link between the power outages and the blast.
The Rotterdam port, the largest in Europe, comprises an oil refinery and multiple petrochemicals facilities.
More from International
Colombian President vows reconstruction fund as quake death toll hits 265
Colombia’s President Abelardo De La Espriella has vowed on Wednesday to set up an emergency fund to help rebuild hospitals, schools, homes, and infrastructure destroyed by Monday’s earthquake, which killed 265 and left nearly 500 people unaccounted for.
Trump says press secretary Leavitt to leave job at month’s end
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave her role at the end of the month, US President Donald Trump has announced on Wednesday, leaving the president without one of his most trusted advisers ahead of November’s midterm elections.
Air India expands drug testing to all pilots after captain tests positive
Air India will begin mandatory substance testing for all pilots on Thursday, expanding checks beyond regulatory requirements days after a pilot involved in a serious mid-air incident tested positive for psychoactive substances, according to an internal memo.
Russia’s Putin visits Japan-claimed islands for first time; Tokyo protests
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Iturup, a Japan-claimed island at the end of the Kuril chain near the island of Hokkaido, Russian media said on Thursday, a day after major naval drills and a missile firing by ally North Korea.
Meta takes down 756,000 Australian teen accounts as ban enforcement looms
Facebook and Instagram owner Meta has announced on Thursday it had taken down more than 750,000 accounts it suspected were held by Australians aged under 16 since a world-first ban on teen accounts, and promised more action.