1944 explosion in Aarhus

The 1944 explosion in Aarhus or the 4th of July Disaster was an explosion in the city of Aarhus, Denmark when a barge loaded with ammunition exploded in the harbor, killing 39 people and injuring another 250. The explosion occurred in conjunction with the occupation of Denmark during the Second World War. Aarhus had become an increasingly important transport hub for German supplies and troops to occupied Norway, by virtue of a large port in the Kattegat and a railway connection to Germany. Supplies arrived by rail from Germany and was loaded from rail cars to barges in the harbor by Danish dock workers, often by hand. Officials from the Aarhus municipal government had prior to 4 July approached German authorities with safety concerns since accidents with ammunition had previously occurred in Norway; specifically the 1943 Filipstad explosion and the 1944 explosion in Bergen. Discussions were underway about the possibility to move transhipment to a less populated area but by July 1944 no decision had yet been made.

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