| Submit your comments on this article | ||
| Europe | ||
| Belgian Authorities to Establish Website with Gas Pipeline Maps | ||
| 2005-07-24 | ||
| As investigations into the Ghislenghien gas explosion near completion, Belgian authorities are working to establish a website identifying underground pipelines and electrical cables. The federal government, the construction industry and utilities firms reached an agreement on Wednesday to set the website up by the end of this year. The 'land registry' will map all underground cables and pipelines. It will be called KLIM, the federal cable and pipeline information point, newspaper 'De Standaard' reported. Anyone working in the area of above or below ground gas pipes and electricity cables cables will be able to access the information. Emergency services can also use the website. But to maintain safety, maps will not be accessible from the website,
However, the website will carry a list of utilities companies that have cables or piping at a particular location.
Meanwhile, investigations into the disaster have almost been completed. The investigation into the pipelines will soon be completed, while the medical and psychological inquiries are close to completion also. Additional investigations can be conducted based on the results of those inquiries, newspaper 'Het Laatste Nieuws' reported. Once completed, the dossier will be handed to the public prosecution office and a written indictment can then be sent to court. The gas explosion at Ghislenghien on 30 July last year killed 24 people and left 132 people injured. The last injured victim left hospital on 16 June this year. Insurers have already allocated EUR 28.5 million in compensation, primarily for the victims severely burned in the fireball. A commemorative ceremony will be held at the site of the tragedy on 30 July. | ||
| Posted by:rkb |
| #4 I guess "call before you dig" isn't good enough. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet 0’ Doom 2005-07-24 23:35 |
| #3 There is a map at this link that will help you see the vulnerability. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2005-07-24 15:41 |
| #2 gas pipeline locations are easily identified in the field by anyone with construction experience, and every street (unless they have propane delivered) has one. You stand more risk from the moron on the backhoe digging a trench than a terrorist attack. While gas explosions/fire usually also do more damage during large quakes than the structural damage, hard to set off largescale kabooms (like a refinery fire) |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-07-24 15:06 |
| #1 Gas pipelines are at the top of my list labelled 'economic impact'. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2005-07-24 14:45 |