How Ignoring a Dutch Tragedy Led to a Danish One - Kolding Fireworks Disaster Documentary

Related video:    • The Enschede Fireworks Disaster - How 177 ...  

The Kolding Fireworks Explosion in November 2004 is one, and probably the the most devastating disasters in Denmark after World War II. It happened in the quiet neighborhood of Seest, where the N.P. Johnsen Fireworks factory became the center of tragedy when a dropped box of fireworks ignited a chain reaction. The fire spread across storage halls and shipping containers, leading to multiple massive explosions that occurred through the area until the day ended. The explosions shattered windows for kilometers, registered 2.2 on the Richter scale, and left hundreds of families without homes. Firefighter Max Jørgensen lost his life protecting Kolding that day, making the Kolding ‘fyrværkeri katastrofe’ not only a story of regulatory failure, but also one of sacrifice.

The investigations concluded how weak Danish safety laws were, especially regarding fireworks misclassification. Investigations revealed that N.P. Johnsen had been storing far more dangerous explosives than permitted. Ironically, it happened just four years after the Enschede fireworks disaster in the Netherlands with nearly identical details and failures. The official report of Kolding Fireworks Disaster mentioned “Enschede” 89 times. Meaning they realized that they could’ve prevented this disaster from happening if only they had learned from Enschede Fireworks Disaster in May 2000.

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Credits & References:

Footages:
• Fyrværkerikatastrofen i Seest - Da byen sprang i luften -    • Fyrværkerikatastrofen i Seest - Da byen sp...  

Publications:
• Kolding Fireworks Explosion Full Investigation Report (in Danish) - https://www.sik.dk/sites/default/file...
• TV2: A Dropped Box Triggered the Seest Explosion - https://nyheder.tv2.dk/2017-12-15-en-...
• TV Syd: Incident Commander on Leaving Max Jørgensen Behind - https://www.tvsyd.dk/kolding/han-var-...
• SDU Psychotraumatology Research: Seest 20 Years Later - https://www.sdu.dk/da/forskning/viden...
• TV Syd: The Decision That Saved Daniel but Cost a Colleague - https://www.tvsyd.dk/syd-og-soenderjy...
• CBS Research Paper: Risk Regulation After Seest Explosion - https://www.cbs.dk/files/cbs.dk/2016-...

Music
• Maestro Tlakaelel - Jesse Gallagher

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Timestamp:
0:00 - Daniel Chrestensen
1:25 - Kolding Fireworks Disaster
7:48 - The Investigations
12:58 - What Changed in Danish Regulations
14:29 - The Destruction & Trauma

#Kolding #Denmark #FireworksDisaster #KoldingDisaster #N.P.Johnsen