An explosion took place within a foundry, on a casting machine supplied by natural gas. Lightning created an electric arc at the level of the casting workshop and caused liquid aluminium to spray. The fog that formed and then rose once in contact with air was responsible for the explosion. The descent device cable broke and let the entire mechanism fall into the shaft. A second, less violent explosion then occurred, with a flare shot off following the gas pipe rupture. Rescue teams arrived quickly on the scene (6 min. after the alarm was sounded). The human toll: 4 dead and 25 injured. Wind gusts tore off the sheet metal roofing as well as the lobby siding. Parts weighing several tens of kilograms were found at distances of up to 400 and 500 m.