Vuurwerkramp Enschede: lichamelijke en geestelijke gezondheid en ervaringen met de ramp; rapportage van het gezondheidsonderzoek

On May 13th, 2000, a firework storage facility with 177 tons of heavy fireworks exploded in a residential area in Enschede, The Netherlands. The series of three explosions and subsequent fire killed 22 and injured over 900 people and about 400 homes were destroyed. The Dutch government declared this a national disaster and a survey was launched to study potential exposure to substances and psycho-trauma, and to assess current physical and psychological health of victims and relief workers, as part of a larger health care programme for the victims. The data collection was performed between 30th May and 7th June, and the first results were reported within 8 weeks of the disaster. This report addresses the assessment of the somatic and psychological health status among the full study population of 4000 residents and relief workers. This questionnaire survey shows that the firework disaster has a large impact on the health status of the victims. 2-3 weeks after the explosion at least 50% of these people report somatical and emotional problems, e.g. sleeping problems, restrictions in daily functioning, anxiety, depression and lack of confidence. Especially residents and to a lesser degree relief workers from the disaster area and from Enschede report a poor perceived health after the disaster, even if their health status before the disaster, age, sex, education and etnicity is taken into account. The perceived health status of relief workers from outside of Enschede is on average better than that of the other groups, both before and after the explosion. Victims which lost their homes, loved-ones or victims which were injured report 2-3 times more somatical and emotional problems then victims without these experiences.