The Los Alfaques Disaster | A Short Documentary | Fascinating Horror 

Your channel should be called "This is why we have regulations"

I love how every major disaster happens because someone wanted to save 100$

"If you think safety's expensive, try an accident" - Stelios Haji-Ioannou

I found this channel just a few hours ago, and I’ve eaten my way through almost all of the videos... They’re bite-sized, they’re factual, and - most important to me - this narrator is respectful of the dead. I immediately subscribed!!

Imagine being covered in burns, and running into salt water to put yourself out....my god, the suffering...

This is why regulations and regular maintenance checks are vital for these trucks. Nearly 300 people died for shoddy practice and company incompetence

I was 8 at the time and was spending Summer with my family in a campsite nearby. The images on TV and in the press (way more terrifying than those in this video, showing endless lines of charred corpses everywhere, some wearing wristwatches stopped at the time of the explosion) got me traumatised for most part of my childhood. With night terrors and an obsessive fear of fire that lasted for years. I'm now 51 and the word "calcinado", which I learned that day, is still directly linked to that even in my mind. I can't hear that word and not think of Los Alfaques.

It's strangely heartwarming to hear that some of the surviving victims still give the campsite owner their patronage. I'm glad they seem to have found a way to at least somewhat heal.

Overfilled tank with no pressure relief valve? That wasn't an accident. That was a murder.

"Pressure release valves were no longer mandatory." Well, I guess whoever was in charge of that learned quickly...

The fact that the people who survived sometimes chose to return to the campsite is a testament to how good that campsite must be.

This one is actually quite horrific. A lot of the time you can see that there were many opportunities not to become a victim of the disaster, this one doesn't really offer any chance to escape.

I drove fuel trucks like that when I was in the military and yes they are basically napalm bombs on wheels.

It astonishes me how most of the catastrophes on this channel are unknown and/or forgotten about when they really absolutely should not be, they should be general knowledge for lessons and warnings so at the very least the lives lost weren’t lost in complete vain; this channel keeps a light alight for all those lives lost alive and in memory, but how can society forget such things as these, and all the other tragedies we don’t generally know about

Back then, the news weren't shy to show the bodies of the victims. There's a record in the same newspaper shown in the video (La Vanguardia) that has a video of one of the first news records of this tragedy. In it, they tell and show how those closer to the blast were completely petrified due to the immense heat, in poses closely resemblant to Pompei's victim (viewer discretion is advised for this one, it's really horrible). I live in Catalonia, was born here, but never heard of this tragedy. Thank you for documenting it, so this terrible mistake is never repeated again.

I was 9 years old, when I was on holiday there with my parents. After 2 days, my father decided to change to another camping site near Torredembarra, cause he felt disturbed by the traffic on the road which was nearby. Next day, the disaster happended.

Good lor, the practice of "yeah, that looks about right" when measuring deadly chemicals is insane. This is volatile gas y'all, not a vegetable soup.

Murder charges should have been laid against whoever said “pressure valves” were no longer needed

"The route is totally down to the driver's decision." We're not gonna reimburse them for tolls paid so they have no reason to take toll roads and that's our fault but...we didn't tell them to go there ^^

Politicians be like “we need to stop handcuffing businesses with regulations.” These guys be like “hold my highly volatile compressed gas”

Room must be allowed in tankers to allow for expansion. There’s a mathematical formula for this. You don’t just eyeball it.

So wait, 42 years later and the campground still has the same owner? That's impressive in and of itself.

One of the survivors, a nine year old girl at the time said that she wanted to take a shower that day. But her mother didn’t let her go, her mom saved her life that day because the the showers were very close to were the truck exploded. If she had gone taken a shower she wouldn’t be alive today.

When my dad was teaching me how to drive, he taught me how to refill the car tank with gas. At the gas pump, he would always dispense the gas until the pump clicked, meaning it was full, but he told me that you could still fill it up a bit beyond that level- i never did that myself, but now im going to tell him to stop doing that thanks to this video

My friend's both parents and brother were there and never returned to him. I still can't imagine. RIP

That's horrendous. And I had never heard of this before.

I was a 12 years old girl when that occurred. I lived in Valencia, where many of the severely burnt survivors were transported because we had at least two units specialized in burnt injuries. At around the launch time ambulances started sounding one after the other, after the other, after the other... we knew something important had happened. My house was very close to the entrance of that highway to the city, and behind one of those hospitals. It was a drama. I was not allowed to watch the news or the papers front pages, but I watch those images years after that and it was really impressive. It was a national tragedy. Many Europeans of different countries were in that camping 🤦🏻‍♀️😢😢😢

I’m shocked at how many of these tragedies I’ve never heard of 😢

I always feel odd "liking" these videos, but they are well produced.

I’d never heard of this, how utterly terrifying. RIP to all those who so sadly and tragically died. My thoughts are with those who survived x

I remind that the following month, in mid August 1978, I was a little child vacationing in southern Italy with my family and friends at a camping site near Peschici Garganico: suddenly one mornint the tent in front of ours erupted in flame due to an unattended burner, and people panicked instantly, being still vivid and fresh in everyone's mind the horror of Les Alfacs. My mother sent me away with my brother uphill and went back to fetch documents and money. The response to fire was quick and effective, my dad collaborated to put down the fire, which was impressive. I remember I have never felt scared as mom and dad kept their minds cool and never let fear filter to us children. That very night the german teenagers which had lost their tent in the fire came to dine and sleep with our family.

I remember this event as if it were yesterday. I was a young intensive care doctor, and the insurance company I worked for asked me to repatriate one of the survivors of this catastrophe, who was burned 90%, from Barcelona to the major burn center in Bordeaux. His wife and spouse, unharmed, accompanied us. When I took charge of him in Barcelona (where the care provided was remarkable), I said to the injured man, 'Sir, I'm bringing you home.' With a sigh, he said, 'Thank you.' He died on his stretcher at the foot of the plane. In silence.

"Highly volatile...stored as a liquid under pressure for transport" _oh no_ oh no *OH NO*

Imagine you go camping and all of a sudden it’s like Hiroshima.

Next time a politician starts the rally cry of “Red tape is crippling business! This government will cut red tape!!” please ask for specifics.

All these stories should be a testament to regulations. As we’ve seen time and time again if a company can cut corners, they will do so, despite the risk to staff and patrons.

I'm from Spain and I clearly remember that tradegy. Thanks for being sensitive and spare us the horrible pictures that were posted in media back then. It was a nightmare that shocked and haunted the entire country for years.

Being a portuguese company, that doesn't surprise me that the drivers were told to take secundary roads to avoid paying the tolls... that's a practice still used today, unfortunately. RIP

Calming music, easy to understand narrator. No exaggerations, just the facts. Thank you 👏

This is one of the most casualty-filled stories you’ve told. My god, what a tragedy.

Yeh, obviously the driver would freely choose a twisty coastal road rather than a motorway for a six-hour tanker journey....

6:40 - When politicians/companies whine about "too many regulations"...Remind them that Safety Regulations should never be repealed for they are Written In Blood.

Im from spain, i've seen images of this and they still hunt me...something to add though, the survivors to the explosion tried to escape from the heat. The fire, the toxic air. The smoke....they went into the sea but they burned there because as you said, the sea was actually boiling... I just can't picture the horror and im glad because of the devastation and loss of lifes....RIP :(

I've subscribed to your channel a while ago, and I just wanted to say I thoroughly appreciate your way of delivering these tragic moments in history. You make sure you've got your information correct and you respect those who lost their lives. 👏👏 Well done and thank you.

This channel just getting better and better. So many disaster events that I never heard of. R.I.P to those poor campers 😢

Never trust a strange cloud! They’re way too shady

So, SO pleased that the YT algorithm placed one of these vids in my path! This is a fantastic channel. I love and appreciate good grammar and respect for the dead. This channel serves up both. Very, very well done. Thank you 💗

I remember reading about this in Reader's Digest when I was a child. It scarred me for life.

No idea what's going on, no place to hide, no time to run. Simply inescapable doom. My heart goes out to all the victims and survivors.

Regulations: [Loosened.] Murphy's Law: 😃😃😃

I've seen a bunch of these videos and I think this is the one that is the scariest when I try to put myself at the scene. Can you imagine if you didn't die instantly, but did die from being burned alive - especially in the days/weeks/months that followed - how freaking painful and miserable that would be? It's just incredible. La verdad que me da mucha pena.

Overloading is very very common especially in short haul trips cause then you don’t gotta go through the weight stations. That or you specifically overfill it in one or two tanks to only add weight to certain axles so you can still sneak through

True story : when I was a little kid I sometimes stayed at my grandmother's house and she was always getting the "Reader's digest" magazine, she had a huge collection at home. I started to read so many of them and one day I found an article about this disaster. It totally fascinated me, the horror described in the article was terrible for a young lad that I was. But it gaves me the taste for reading about crimes, history, big events and, of course, disasters. that's why maybe the article about the los alfaques catastrophy is the reason why I am here now writing this comment.

Whenever the narrator says, “At about... (insert time here)” I cringe and brace myself.

I appreciate how you relate the facts plainly while also humanizing the impact on the victims, living and dead. Well done.

You truly have a winning formula! I love that there's presentation continuity in all your videos. Keep it up (please)!!

Somebody said "the cheap comes out expensive". That's so true. If the company had spent the money on toll charges and taken all safety measures, the disaster either would not have happened or would have possibly been less severe. It definitely would have been less costly.

Another crazy thing is that I've seen trucks hauling tanks like this being cut off and/or brake checked by other drivers. My dad used to own a semi and hauled tankers all the time and was constantly getting cut off by cars, a few times having to swerve onto the shoulder to avoid a collision.

Please never change the length of your videos!!! They’re PERFECT. the right amount of info and I can pay attention to it all (ADHD lol)

Omg these stories definitely fascinate and draw you in I must see all of them. The production is a perfect recipe! Bravo

As I've seen plastered all over the walls of employers, "Safety isn't a cost. It's an investment."

I had just arrived in Spain and was living 1 mile from this camping ground, and saw it all happening being first alarmed by the first explosion,,we also immediately went to the camping grounds to see if we could help in any way possible, to this day I still see the images in my head of the victims, one image especially ,now 40 plus years later I still live here and fortunately the camping grounds look quite nice and peaceful again,being enjoyed again by many foreign campers,but the memory of the Camping Alfaques disaster will always remain, RIP to all the victims of this horrendous accident!🙏🙏

I’ve been binging your videos for a few months now, and this is one of the only videos that left my jaw on the floor.

This is the second ever Fascinating Horror video that I watched (after the Grand Canyon falls). The quality of the delivery, detailed information, historical photos, and discussion of historical context are exceptional. I've since watched many other videos on the channel. Great work.

"What's up with this weird white smoke?" *Lights Cigarette*

I’m surprised this isn’t larger than what it is. This is surprising and utterly horrifying.

Hey, thank you for including that last hopeful bit. Oftentimes, the most impressive part of these disasters are the way people recover from them.

Been binge watching FH for a week now. Excellent content, great presentation, and what a superb way to share history that serves the additional purpose to remind us of our fragility. I love the music too 👊💪🔥

I remember my mom seeing this on the news in 1978 as a kid, and I remember hearing people running into the sea "on fire". Horrifies me to this date.

"The child of Somosierra" is another tragedy that involves a truck and a deadly cargo in Spain in 1986. I won't spoil the surprise of why the case its called like that.

I appreciate your detailed research and presentation of these tragic events.

The entire event is nothing short of horrific and lethal corporate negligence, but I can't help but think that the owner's sentiment is nothing short of beautiful. "While the site is forever haunted by the specter of the explosion, the landscape will recover, and better memories than those of that dark day will be made there for many years to come."

Horrible. They just wanted to have a good time camping and spending their holiday.

Horrendous, what a tragedy. I’m glad you tell these events, they help to keep the actions accountable and the victims remembered. No one should forget such tragedies.

"How many safety regulations do you want to skip?" Company that owned the tanker: "Yes"

Each time i watch your videos it takes me 2min to recover from the creepy but awesome intro music. I love your channel.

I remember that day, I was a small boy then and in the news came the pictures uncensored, people lying still burned and smoking from their bodies. I will never forget those images.....

When I realized this occurred in Spain in the 70s, my first thought was terrorism (ETA). I was wrong. Never underestimate the power of human greed, negligence and incompetence.

@7:14 How odd. The fire/explosion torched the cars just a few feet away but left the tablecloth and the picnic unscathed.

Great videos! Love how straightforward and detailed they are, almost like a court proceeding. What song is that at the end? Very mysterious sounding I love it

From now on I'm gonna stay further back from trucks full of chemicals on the highway and I'm sure as hell going to avoid mysterious clouds.

Your ability to find obscure and fascinating disasters is remarkable. Please don't stop, education about this kinda stuff can save lives

Love your channel. I watch your videos more than my tv.

I am constantly learning about humanity and mankind's struggle with common sense from this channel. Keep up the good work on research and edits.

I remember that one from my primary school physics textbook, it was the example for thermal expansion of liquids and why you have to take them into consideration.

Can you imagine being at a picnic and suddenly everything bursts into flames? I’m not sure id be able to grasp that reality. I’d probably think I was in a hellish nightmare. Those poor people :( never heard this story before, thanks for sharing

Just heart-wrenching, how horrible. Thank you for sharing this story. Hopefully it won't ever happen again.

I have never heard of Alfaques before this. You really described it well. I felt as though I was sitting in the camp site wondering whether or not it was safe to light my joint.

Everyone is different but I would never return to the campsite. Remembering such a horror would be just too much to bare.

I was only 7 years old and I still remember seeing this incident on the tv news... It was a terrible disgrace! If you can, check on the Biescas incident, another camping site shattered by a flood, because it was built over a dry stream and they didn't know it. Thank you for sharing these stories. Greetings from Barcelona!

Yo dude you need to make more videos. The background music and your voice and the delivery is perfect. Keep up the good work dude

LOVE the music you use in your videos!! It is dark enough without sounding like something they'd play in a retail store for Halloween ♡

When I was in high school studying French, we would read French magazines on a Friday afternoon. This tragedy was covered in Paris Match along with graphic photographs, which were horrific, and in my opinion should never have been printed, I was 15 at the time, and those images were imprinted on my brain. An immeasurable tragedy, my condolences to all affected.

Respectful, thorough...cautionary. It’s a good tribute to the victims to keep the lessons of these incidents alive somehow, worth the work!

Thank You for sharing your collection of "Fascinating Horror " Documentaries .

You do such a great job of ending on a light note and not making me depressed...

I was 10 years old when it happened. I remember well this accident.

I’d never heard of this before. How terrifying. I appreciate your content. Just well researched and factual.

Thank you for this reminder. I was 9 at the time of the tragedy and I didn't know about it or maybe forgotten. It is also a reminder of the importance of regulations that can save lives when many corporations only think of saving money.

This channel name is spot on. Well done