Two individuals and two companies were found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in a First World War shell explosion which took place during excavation work in Flanders, announced the Ghent Court of Appeal on Friday.
The incident occurred at a construction site in Ypres on 19 March 2014. A judicial investigation found that two shells had been unearthed by a crane operator from a groundworks company. The manager of this company placed the shells at the back of the building.
The owner of the company that owned the land expected more shells to surface as the work continued. Therefore, he decided to wait until all shells were uncovered before informing the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service. The shells remained in the yard for several weeks.
The eventual explosion resulted in the immediate death of one worker. Another succumbed to injuries on the way to the hospital. Two other workers sustained injuries.
All victims were independent contractors hired by a subcontractor, which in turn was working for the landowner.
Two individuals and two companies were convicted of involuntary manslaughter. Like the Ypres court, the Ghent Court of Appeal did not impose a sentence but issued a conviction through a simple guilty plea for each of the accused.
