An explosion at the port of Rotterdam killed one person and injured several others on Thursday, 13 August, at an oil facility operated by Gunvor Energy in the port's Europoort industrial zone. The blast occurred at around 11:30 a.m. local time and prompted an immediate emergency response at what is widely regarded as Europe's largest port.

Several injured people were transported to hospital following the explosion. Forensic investigators and the Dutch labour inspectorate were dispatched to the scene, where a damaged wall and visible signs of an explosion on a storage tank were observed as emergency services worked to secure the area. Police spokesperson Daan Valkenburg said investigators were examining all possible causes and had not yet reached any conclusions.

Gunvor Energy operates a refinery and fuel terminal within the sprawling Europoort complex. Dutch public broadcaster NOS reported that a maintenance team had been working on a section of pipes at the time of the blast, though authorities have not confirmed that account. The cause of the explosion remains under active investigation.

Separately, a power failure struck another part of the port on the same day, caused by a transformer fire that prompted several companies to halt operations and evacuate workers. Emergency services subsequently confirmed that the blackout was unrelated to the explosion at the Gunvor facility, ruling out an immediate connection between the two incidents.

The dual disruptions at one of the world's busiest ports — Rotterdam handles roughly 15 percent of all European Union seaborne trade — will likely draw scrutiny to industrial safety standards at the site. Authorities have said the investigation will determine the full sequence of events that led to the fatal blast.