Toulouse chemical factory explosion
| Company type | Division of Total S.A. |
|---|---|
| Industry | Chemical manufacturing |
| Fate | Destroyed by explosion on 21 September 2001 |
| Headquarters | Toulouse , France |
| Parent | Total S.A. |
On 21 September 2001, a significant explosion took place at the AZF facility (an abbreviation of the French term AZote Fertilisant, meaning nitrogen fertiliser) located in Toulouse, France. This plant was operated by the Grande Paroisse division of the Total corporation.
At the time, hangars 221 and 222 contained 300 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, well below their maximum storage limit of 2,000 tonnes. The blast obliterated the entire complex, leaving a crater approximately deep and wide. Fragments of steel beams were discovered as far as from the explosion site. The force registered 3.4 on the Richter scale, with an estimated yield comparable to 20-40 tons of TNT. The sound was audible up to 80 km (50 miles) distant. Due to acoustic effects caused by nearby hills, law enforcement initially suspected multiple bombs had detonated simultaneously; there remains debate regarding the exact number of explosions.
Situated in close proximity to the urban area, the plant was near Le Mirail, one of Toulouse’s most densely inhabited neighborhoods, only away. Following the incident, roughly 10% of Toulouse’s residents were evacuated.
Victims
The catastrophe resulted in 31 fatalities, approximately 30 individuals sustaining severe injuries, and around 2,500 experiencing minor wounds. Approximately two-thirds of windows across the city were shattered, which caused about 70 cases of eye trauma. Total insured losses surpassed 1.5 billion euros.
Investigation
On 4 October 2001, Yves Cochet, France's Environment Minister at the time, proposed that the explosion "might have been a terrorist act," occurring just ten days after the September 11 attacks. Hassan Jandoubi, a subcontractor working at the plant who died in the blast, became a subject of inquiry. Authorities were denied permission to search his residence for five days, delaying investigative efforts and allowing his partner to potentially eliminate evidence.
Law enforcement observed that Jandoubi held "possible Islamic fundamentalist" views but found no definitive connections. In May 2006, the official inquiry concluded that a chemical mishap caused the explosion: sodium dichlorocyanurate combined with approximately 500 kg of ammonium nitrate spilled onto the primary nitrate stockpile shortly before detonation.
See also
Further reading
- Daniel Dissy: AZF-Toulouse, Quelle vérité?, 2006, , Library of Congress Control No: 2007370387.
- Franck Hériot & Jean-Christian Tirat: "AZF: L'enquête assassinée", Plon, .
- Daniel Dissy: "AZF, l'Enquête secrète – Le Mystère de la Trace Noire ou comment AZF a explosé", éditions des Traboules, Paris, 2009, .