Explosion at Dutch port of Rotterdam leaves 1 dead, several injured

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) — An explosion at the Dutch port of Rotterdam on Thursday killed at least one person and injured several others, city police said.

Police said the blast at Europe’s biggest port happened late Thursday morning and that a crime scene has been set up to try to establish what caused it. In a post on social media, they said the explosion “appears to be a workplace accident for the time being,” without elaborating.

At the scene, Rotterdam police spokesperson Daan Valkenburg told The Associated Press that no definitive conclusions had been drawn and that “we are keeping all possibilities open.”

The explosion occurred at a refinery and fuel terminal operated by Gunvor Energy in an industrial section of the sprawling port. Dutch broadcaster NOS said that a maintenance team had been working on a section of pipes there.

Rotterdam's emergency services coordinator also reported a major power failure in another part of the port and said that a transformer had caught fire under unexplained circumstances. Several companies halted their operations and evacuated workers.

By mid-afternoon, power was fully restored to the area, where a number of oil and gas companies are based. Emergency services later ruled out any link between the blackout and the explosion.

A works safety banner is placed outside a refinery and fuel terminal run by Gunvor Energy where an explosion occurred at the Dutch port of Rotterdam which killed at least one person and injured several others according to police, in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Mouneb Taim)

Police officers walk to a refinery and fuel terminal run by Gunvor Energy after an explosion at the Dutch port of Rotterdam which killed at least one person and injured several others according to police, in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Mouneb Taim)

A structure in a refinery and fuel terminal run by Gunvor Energy carries the traces of an explosion at the Dutch port of Rotterdam which killed at least one person and injured several others according to police, in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Mouneb Taim)

A structure in a refinery and fuel terminal run by Gunvor Energy carries the traces of an explosion at the Dutch port of Rotterdam which killed at least one person and injured several others according to police, in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Mouneb Taim)

HONOLULU (AP) — Tropical Storm Lala formed Thursday in the Pacific Ocean and a hurricane watch has been issued for the Big Island of Hawaii, forecasters said.

The storm could bring heavy rain, high winds and dangerous surf to the Hawaiian Islands starting late Friday, the National Hurricane Center said.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

HONOLULU (AP) — Tropical Storm Hernan formed Thursday in the Pacific Ocean and wasn't threatening land while a different storm system that could bring heavy rain and flooding this weekend moved toward Hawaii, forecasters said.

Hernan was about 1,460 miles (2,350 kilometers) west of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula of Mexico, the National Hurricane Center said. Maximum sustained winds were around 40 mph (64 kph) and it was moving west.

Meanwhile, potential Tropical Cyclone One-C was about 775 miles (1,247 kilometers) east-southeast of Hawaii and was forecast to bring heavy rain, high winds and dangerous surf to the Hawaiian Islands starting late Friday.

Winds were around 40 mph, but it wasn't organized enough to be considered a tropical storm, the Miami-based center said.

It could make landfall on the southern part of the Big Island as a tropical storm on Saturday, forecasters said.

The system could bring rainfall totals of 5 to 10 inches (13 to 25 centimeters) in the island chain, with up to 20 inches (51 centimeters) possible, forecasters said. That could produce flooding and mudslides, the center said.

In the Atlantic Ocean, Tropical Storm Cristobal weakened into a tropical depression and was expected to dissipate Thursday, the center said. It was about 610 miles (982 kilometers) west of the Azores and didn't threaten land.

This NOAA satellite image taken at 11:21 a.m. EST on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, shows Tropical Storm Cristobal in the Atlantic Ocean. (NOAA via AP)

This NOAA satellite image taken at 11:38 a.m. EST on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, shows a Potential Tropical Cyclone One-C, about 1,000-miles east-southeast of the Hawaiian Islands. (NOAA via AP)

This NOAA satellite image shows a tropical depression becoming Tropical Storm Hernan over the East Pacific, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (NOAA via AP)