Road accident in Italy resulting in a boiling-liquid expanding-vapour explosion (BLEVE)
A BLEVE on the A14 motorway near Bologna killed two, injured 145, and collapsed part of a viaduct, highlighting the dangers of LPG tanker accidents.
Key Facts
- Deaths
- 2
- Injured
- 145
- Incident type
- BLEVE (boiling-liquid expanding-vapour explosion)
- Location
- A14 motorway, Borgo Panigale, Bologna
- Viaduct damage
- One span collapsed; gash opened in motorway
- Date
- 6 August 2018
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
A liquefied petroleum gas road tanker collided with an articulated lorry carrying flammable solvents and a car transporter on the A14 motorway in Borgo Panigale, Bologna. The collision released the LPG cargo, creating conditions for a rapid, catastrophic ignition.
The released LPG underwent a boiling-liquid expanding-vapour explosion, combusting nearly the entire tanker cargo within seconds and generating intense thermal radiation. The blast struck the surrounding motorway infrastructure and adjacent commercial and residential areas.
Two people were killed and 145 injured. Structural damage was severe: one span of the motorway viaduct collapsed and a large gash opened in the road surface, disrupting traffic and causing significant harm to nearby buildings and properties.