Rudi Bakker, fireworks director behind 2000 Enschede blast that killed 23, dies at 63

Rudi Bakker, former director of SE Fireworks, died Wednesday at the age of 63, his lawyer Peter Plasman confirmed Thursday. Bakker was a central figure in the 2000 Enschede fireworks disaster, one of the deadliest industrial accidents in Dutch history.

On May 13, 2000, a fire at SE Fireworks’ storage facility in the Roombeek neighborhood triggered a massive explosion that killed 23 people, injured 947, and destroyed the surrounding residential area.

The disaster prompted a criminal investigation, and Bakker and his business partner were convicted of storing excessive amounts of explosive fireworks. Both were sentenced to one year in prison. Bakker maintained that the storage met all regulations.

In 2015, widows of firefighters killed in the explosion sued the Dutch State, demanding access to a confidential police report on the investigation. Their lawyer, Martin de Witte, filed requests under the Open Government Act and launched separate witness questioning to probe the disaster’s causes.

Twenty-five years after the blast, in 2025, new evidence emerged that raised further questions. Documents and witness statements suggest investigators may have overlooked key individuals and possible motives. Two days after the explosion, a local officer reported a tip that work had been carried out at the SE Fireworks site that afternoon. At least six people connected to the company were present, including a freelance pyrotechnician who regularly worked alongside his brother. Despite the tip being added to the case file, these individuals were reportedly never questioned. Bakker had long claimed the authorities failed to pursue these leads.

Additional records reveal that the municipality of Enschede had planned high-end redevelopment in the Roombeek area and offered 1.5 million guilders for the SE Fireworks property just one day before the explosion. As the leaseholder, Bakker had legal rights to the land but was unaware of the offer at the time. He reportedly only learned of the municipality’s proposal years later through a public records request.