On 11 April 1996, a fire began inside the passenger terminal of
Düsseldorf Airport, Germany, killing 17 people.
, it is the worst structural fire to have occurred in any commercial airport building.
According to various sources, between 62
and 88
people were injured. The catastrophic conflagration is considered a prime example for a polystyrene fire, illustrating the
flammability of such material. Approximately 1,000 firefighters were involved in extinguishing the blaze, which at the time was the largest fire response in the history of
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia or North-Rhine/Westphalia, commonly shortened to NRW, is a States of Germany, state () in Old states of Germany, Western Germany. With more than 18 million inhabitants, it is the List of German states by population, most ...
.
Cause and timeline
The fire was caused by welding work done to an
expansion joint
A expansion joint, or movement joint, is an assembly designed to hold parts together while safely absorbing temperature-induced expansion and contraction of building materials. They are commonly found between sections of buildings, bridges, s ...
on the elevated access road of Terminal A,
which began at around 13:00.
Droplets of molten metal started
smouldering inside the
polystyrene
Polystyrene (PS) is a synthetic polymer made from monomers of the aromatic hydrocarbon styrene. Polystyrene can be solid or foamed. General-purpose polystyrene is clear, hard, and brittle. It is an inexpensive resin per unit weight. It i ...
insulation on the
dropped ceiling of the arrivals hall below.
This slow fire spread out over a large area without being noticed.
At 15:31, a taxi driver informed the fire department that he had observed a few sparks falling out of the ceiling in the arrivals area.
Two members of the airport fire brigade arrived on the scene a few minutes later, initially suspecting an electrical failure.
At around 15:45, they learned of the welding work directly above, thus being able to finally identify the probable origin.
By that time, smoke could be seen emanating from ceiling vents.
The situation grew out of control at 15:58.
A
flashover occurred, setting ablaze approximately of the ceiling within seconds. This was accompanied by an intense buildup of thick, black smoke.
A total of 11
metric tons of polystyrene burned down,
as well as numerous
PVC cable coatings, releasing highly toxic substances including
carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide (chemical formula CO) is a poisonous, flammable gas that is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and slightly less dense than air. Carbon monoxide consists of one carbon atom and one oxygen atom connected by a triple bond. It is the si ...
,
dioxins,
hydrogen cyanide
Hydrogen cyanide (formerly known as prussic acid) is a chemical compound with the chemical formula, formula HCN and structural formula . It is a highly toxic and flammable liquid that boiling, boils slightly above room temperature, at . HCN is ...
and
hydrogen chloride
The Chemical compound, compound hydrogen chloride has the chemical formula and as such is a hydrogen halide. At room temperature, it is a colorless gas, which forms white fumes of hydrochloric acid upon contact with atmospheric water vapor. Hyd ...
.
As there was neither a
sprinkler system nor
fire doors (which was not mandatory at that time),
a wall of smoke spread through the terminal building.
At approximately 16:00 the headquarters of the airport fire brigade was informed about the extent of the fire, and reacted by calling for assistance from firefighters stationed in the adjacent municipalities.
At 16:06, a general call for evacuation was put on the public address system of the airport.
Until then, people in those parts of the airport that were not directly affected by the smoke had been unaware of the situation.
Flight operations were halted at 16:36.
Many of the firefighters did not have any experience with fires of that kind, and necessary supplies were missing. The airport fire brigade had only been trained to address aviation accidents, not how to respond to a fire inside the airport building.
At 19:20, the fire was under control,
and it was declared to be put out at 21:30.
Victims
All victims died from
smoke inhalation rather than from heat injuries inflicted by the fire.
Due to the thick smoke, nine passengers found themselves trapped inside the
airport lounge
An airport lounge is a facility operated at many airports. Airport lounges offer, for selected passengers, comforts beyond those afforded in the airport terminal, such as more comfortable seating, quieter environments, and better access to custome ...
of
Air France on the mezzanine level above the arrivals hall of Terminal A.
The self-service ''Salon'' was not staffed; passengers eligible to utilize the amenities were given an access code upon check-in. This may have contributed to the lack of knowledge about the nearest escape route which was only 8 metres away from the lounge exit. It led to a flat rooftop via two half staircases.
Numerous phone calls were made from inside the lounge, the last one at 16:19.
Although one of the victims described the location to be above the Lufthansa check-in, none of the involved personnel were aware of the exact location of the lounge, preventing it from being evacuated in time. All but one occupant suffocated. A French businessman managed to escape by smashing a window with a chair and falling 4 metres to the lower level. He was rescued at around 17:00, suffering from serious head injuries. He fully recovered from his injuries.
Seven people died in two elevators bringing people from the airport parking garage into the Terminal A arrivals hall, which at the time was fully ablaze.
The victims had entered the elevators unaware of the fire, only to find themselves exposed to thick, toxic smoke which obstructed the optical door sensors, causing the elevator doors to remain open.
A British soldier died inside a lavatory at the arrivals level of Terminal A.
The last victim, an elderly woman, had initially escaped the fire but died two weeks later due to the consequences of smoke inhalation.
Aftermath
Due to the effects of fire and smoke, Terminals A and B were rendered unusable, and the total damage was estimated at
DM 1 billion.
Several airlines temporarily moved their operations to nearby
Cologne/Bonn Airport, until tents had been put up at Düsseldorf Airport to provide interim check-in and baggage claim services. These were later replaced by light-metal barracks (Terminals D and E). By 1 July 1996, Düsseldorf Airport had returned to 90 per cent of its original passenger capacity.
Terminal A was extensively renovated, and Terminal B was demolished completely and rebuilt; the terminals reopened in 1998 and 2001, respectively.
Investigation
The official investigation into the accident revealed a number of safety and procedural flaws, as well as possible criminal offences:
*The airport fire brigade had not been informed about the welding work, otherwise a fire watch would have been dispatched.
*The highly flammable polystyrene sheeting inside the ceiling was installed illegally.
*There were no operational procedures for a fire inside the terminal building. Firefighters were missing floor plans and access keys,
and communication problems were encountered between members of the airport fire brigade and external forces.
*The elevators were not put out of service once the general fire alarm was called.
In late 1996, a court trial was opened, charging a number of people including the two welders, the technical director of the airport, the architect, as well as building inspectors and supervisors. Following lengthy arguments over procedural questions, the case was postponed several times and finally abandoned in 2001, without a verdict identifying those responsible for the disaster.
See also
*
Nairobi Airport fire, which occurred on 7 August 2013 and destroyed a large part of the terminal building at
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dusseldorf Airport fire
Airport fires
1996 in Germany
History of Düsseldorf
1990s fires in Europe
1996 fires
Fires in Germany
April 1996 in Germany
1990s in Düsseldorf