Misplaced Pages

Lapua Cartridge Factory explosion

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
1976 explosion at a munitions factory in Lapua, Finland
Lapua Cartridge Factory explosion
Date13 April 1976 (1976-04-13)
LocationLapua, Finland
Deaths40
Non-fatal injuries60

The Lapua Cartridge Factory explosion (Finnish: Lapuan patruunatehtaan räjähdys) was an industrial disaster in an ammunition factory in Lapua, Finland on 13 April 1976. Forty workers were killed and 60 people injured. This was Finland's worst industrial disaster.

Explosion

The explosion occurred at 07:43, completely destroying the building. The blast was heard up to 20 kilometres (12 mi) away. Most of the injured had been in the factory at the time, but some outside were injured by shrapnel. Of the dead, thirty-five were women. Fifty-two children under the age of 16 lost at least one parent in the accident.

A strike by telephone engineers meant that there was reduced communication in Lapua at this time, as many of the circuits had not been fully repaired after the winter and the telephone exchange was quickly overwhelmed as relatives phoned searching for information. Rescue efforts were hampered by fires, causing several of the remaining cartridges to explode at sporadic intervals. Beginning at 08:05, the injured began to be transferred to the district hospital in Seinäjoki. Staff at this hospital had already received training in preparation for a major incident, as the town was located at a railway junction. Medical staff were concerned that the clothing worn by victims of the incident could include live ammunition which could be accidentally set off. Military helicopters brought blood supplies from Helsinki for transfusions.

Response

The day of the disaster, the Minister of Defence, Ingvar S. Melin, visited the health centre in the town and the Parliament of Finland observed a minute's silence. The funeral service of all 40 victims took place in the southern park of Lapua Cathedral and was broadcast live on Finnish television. The accident resulted in an enhanced level of crisis support from the Finnish authorities and donations from private individuals came in from across the nation to help.

Investigation

Debris from the scene was taken to the laboratory of the Finnish Defence Forces for analysis. In November 1976 investigators found that the explosion had begun with a machine which dispensed gunpowder and had spread from there, causing a chain reaction. Investigators tested numerous possible scenarios, among them the theory that rust had caused the machine to malfunction or that a foreign object had lodged in it. However, a definitive cause of the explosion was never discovered. Investigators speculated that poor ventilation in the factory had caused a buildup of gunpowder dust, which was then ignited by a spark. The accident resulted in new legislation in the armaments industry which brought in stricter safety measures.

In 1978 legal action against the factory's owners began; this ended in 1982 with all defendants being acquitted. A few weeks after the explosion, the decision was taken to rebuild the factory. It was rebuilt 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) from the town centre.

References

  1. ^ "Suomen tuhoisimmasta räjähdyksestä 40 vuotta – arkkurivi hiljensi koko kansan" [Finland's devastating explosion 40 years on: the rows of coffins silenced the entire nation] (in Finnish). MTV3. 10 April 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  2. Sumiala, Johanna (2013). Media and Ritual: Death, Community, and Everyday Life. Routledge. p. 95. ISBN 978-0415684323.
  3. ^ Kekki, Pertti (May 1978). "The operation of a health centre after a catastrophe in Finland" (PDF). The Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners: 298–301. PMID 702445. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  4. ^ "Lapuan räjähdys täytti sairaalan" [The Lapua explosion filled the hospital] (in Finnish). MTV3. 10 April 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  5. ^ Harju, Jukka (10 April 2016). "Lapuan patruunatehtaan räjähdys koskettaa yhä" [The Lapua Cartridge Factory explosion still affects people]. Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Helsinki, Finland. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  6. "Neljä tarinaa Lapuan tuhoisasta räjähdyksestä" [Lapua's devastating explosion in 4 stories] (in Finnish). MTV3. 10 April 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  7. ^ "A twelve-month undertaking". Work, Health, Safety. Institute of Occupational Health: 38–39. May 1978. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  8. ^ Jaakkonen, Pasi (13 April 2016). "Tapahtumat hetki hetkeltä 13.4.1976: Lapuan patruunatehtaan räjähdyksessä kuoli silmänräpäyksessä 40 ihmistä" [Events moment by moment 13 April 1976: The Lapua cartridge factory explosion killed 40 people in an instant]. Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Helsinki, Finland. Retrieved 4 July 2016.

Categories: