London  - Multinational oil giant Total is liable for damages caused by the explosion at a major oil depot in Britain in which 43 people were injured, the High Court in London ruled Friday.

The 2005 explosion at the Buncefield oil depot in Hemel Hempstead, in the county of Hertfordshire, north of London, was the biggest blast in Europe since the end of World War II.

The ignition of the vapour cloud which followed the spillage of 300 tons of petrol caused an explosion which caused a tremor equivalent to a 2.4 magnitude earthquake, experts found.

The blast destroyed homes and businesses and forced numerous homes to be evacuated.

Reports said Friday that claims could amount to an estimated 750,000 pounds (1,08 million dollars).

The depot was owned by Total and Chevron in a joint venture called Hertfordshire Oil Storage Ltd (HOSL), but was operated by Total.

The High Court decision was over a dispute between Total and Chevron as to who was liable for the agreed acts of negligence that led to the spillage and explosion.

"We still believe ... our joint venture partner should accept their share of the responsibilities for the incident. As a consequence we will be considering our grounds for appeal," Total said in a statement. (dpa)