Two companies prosecuted for Diemen gas explosion

The Public Prosecutor is prosecuting two companies for the gas explosion in Diemen last year, which left two people dead, another 15 injured and hundreds of people displaced. According to the Prosecutor, the contractor and subcontractor did not act carefully enough at the excavation that caused the explosion, NOS reports. The Prosecutor would not comment about the indictment or whether criminal law will apply in this matter. A decision will likely be made in September on this. Last month the Dutch Safety Board concluded that the explosion was an avoidable accident caused by poor information exchange - the contractor did not realize that there was a gas pipe on the spot where they were digging.