Unipol tank blast in Oss injures one man

A nitrogen tank exploded at around 23:30 on Friday at the company Unipol, on a business park in Oss, in North Brabant. One man was injured. Unipol makes raw materials for insulation and packaging.

Large pieces of the tank lay scattered over dozens of metres. The man was hurt by flying debris.

The blast sent a large vapour cloud into the air. A spokeswoman for the safety region (veiligheidsregio) said nitrogen is not classed as a hazardous substance and is normally diluted quickly once oxygen is added. In concentrated form it can cause breathing problems.

Fog slowed that process this time, so the fire brigade stayed at the scene. "We stayed on for a bit with the fire brigade, because it was foggy and so the nitrogen didn't thin out as quickly as it normally does," the spokeswoman said. "We also removed a number of parked cars from the area as a precaution. But the danger passed quickly."

The cause of the explosion is being investigated.