Review and analysis of the explosion accident in Drevja, Norway: A consequence of fire in a mobile explosives manufacturing unit (MEMU) carrying precursors for the on-site production of bulk explosives

Abstract

On 17 December 2013, in Drevja, Nordland county, Norway, an uncontrollable fire in a mobile explosives manufactory unit (MEMU) carrying ammonium nitrate-based products and gassing agents for the on-site production of bulk explosives, culminated in an explosion almost 2.5 h after the fire was first noticed. Even though explosive events during storage or transport of ammonium nitrate are rare, the consequences are often disastrous and have thus been the cause of some of the largest industry- and transport-related accidents to date. Most of them have involved uncontrollable fires. As part of the governmental investigation of the disaster, the accident area was thoroughly inspected, eye-witnesses were interviewed and pictures taken during the incident were examined. In addition, more than 340 fragments were collected and registered and used for further analyses and assessments. Based on these findings, we present a technical and detailed review of the accident. This includes the use of ballistic calculations in the ensuing analysis of the explosive event, followed by discussions on current regulations and hazard classification tests. These underline both the governmental and industrial need for profound, technical knowledge in the risk profiling of the transport of precursors for the on-site production of ammonium nitrate-based explosives.