Los Alfaques disaster
1978 tanker truck accident in Spain / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Los Alfaques disaster was a road tanker explosion that occurred near a holiday campsite on Tuesday 11 July 1978 in Alcanar, Spain. The exploding truck, which was carrying 23 tons of highly flammable liquefied propylene, killed 215 people and severely burned 200 more. Several individuals from the company that owned the vehicle were prosecuted for criminal negligence. The accident resulted in new legislation in Spain, restricting the transit of vehicles carrying dangerous cargo through populated areas to night time only.
Date | 11 July 1978 (11 July 1978) |
---|---|
Venue | N-340 national road and Los Alfaques campsite |
Location | Alcanar, Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain |
Type | Tanker truck BLEVE |
Deaths | 215 |
Non-fatal injuries | 200+ |
Most of the victims were holidaymakers from Germany and other European countries who were staying at the Los Alfaques seaside campground. The site, which is located at km 159 on the N-340 national road, is 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) south of the town of Sant Carles de la Ràpita.