20 years on: 23 dead in Enschede fireworks disaster commemorated

Today the Netherlands is commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Enschede fireworks disaster. On Saturday afternoon, 13 May 2000, a fire at fireworks company SE Fireworks caused a chain reaction of explosions. 23 people were killed, 947 people were injured, and around 200 homes were destroyed.

The commemoration of this disaster was adjusted because of the measures in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Instead of a public memorial, the mayor of Enschede and the chairman of the memorial committee will visit the monument in the affected Roombeek district, according to NOS. At the time of the explosions, between 3:25 and 3:35 p.m., the bells in Enschede will sound.

People are allowed to leave a flower at the monument in their own capacity, but are reminded to adhere to social distancing measures - keep 1.5 meters apart.