What happened in Texas City explosion?
Texas City explosion of 1947, industrial disaster sparked by the fire and explosion of the SS Grandcamp on April 16–17, 1947, in Texas City, Texas. The blast set off a chain of fires as well as a 15-foot (4.5-metre) tidal wave. Between 400 and 600 people were killed, with as many as 4,000 injured.
What caused the Texas City explosion of 1947?
A giant explosion occurs during the loading of fertilizer onto the freighter Grandcamp at a pier in Texas City, Texas, on April 16, 1947. On April 16, the Grandcamp was being loaded with ammonium nitrate as well as tobacco and government-owned ammunition.
What chemical was involved in the Texas City explosion?
ammonium nitrate
On the morning of April 16, 1947, a fire started on the SS Grandcamp, a cargo ship docked in the Port of Texas City, igniting 2,300 tons of highly explosive ammonium nitrate fertilizer in its hold. The resulting explosion leveled the dock and surrounding industrial area and ignited two more explosions.
How many people died in the 1947 Texas disaster?
600 people
The blast started a chain reaction of explosions and fires that would become known as the Texas City Disaster of 1947. Nearly 600 people died in the blast and during the two days of fiery carnage that followed, and some 3,500 more were injured.
What is the deadliest industrial disaster in US history?
The 1947 Texas City disaster was an industrial accident that occurred on April 16, 1947, in the Port of Texas City, Texas, at Galveston Bay. It was the deadliest industrial accident in United States history and one of history’s largest non-nuclear explosions.
What was the worst industrial accident in America?
April 16, 1947: Texas City disaster, Texas. At 9:15 am an explosion occurred aboard a docked ship named the Grandcamp. The explosion, and subsequent fires and explosions, is referred to as the worst industrial disaster in America.
How much did the Texas City explosion cost?
BP Settles With OSHA: $13 Million For Texas City Refinery Explosion.
What explosion happened in Texas?
HOUSTON – The fertilizer plant explosion and fire in West, Texas, happened on April 17, 2013, killing 15 people and causing hundreds of injuries among the rural area’s 2,800 people. Here’s a look at NBC footage of the explosion from eyewitnesses.
What was the worst workplace disaster in US history?
Fires, Floods, Explosions, and More. According to the “Deadliest Workplace Accidents” article published by PBS and the American Experience, fires are a leading case of industrial accidents. Perhaps the most famous is the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, which killed 146 workers on March 25, 1911.
What was the worst accident in history?
The single worst industrial accident in history occurred on December 3, 1984, when some 45 tons of the dangerous gas methyl isocyanate escaped from the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, India.
What year was the explosion in West Texas?
April 17, 2013
West Fertilizer Plant explosion/Start dates
On April 17, 2013, firefighters responded to a fire at the West Fertilizer Company, a storage and distribution facility in West, Texas, a town of approximately 2,900 north of Waco. While crews worked to contain the fire, the site exploded, leveling homes, businesses and other buildings, including a nearby school.
What disasters happened that killed many laborers?
Deadliest Workplace Accidents
- May 2, 1878. Minneapolis, Minnesota.
- May 1, 1900. Scofield, Utah.
- March 20, 1902. Brockton, Massachusetts.
- May 19, 1902. Coal Creek, Tennessee.
- December 6, 1907. Monongah, West Virginia.
- January 20, 1909. Lake Michigan, Chicago, Illinois.
- May 5, 1910. Palos, Alabama.
- October 22, 1913. Dawson, New Mexico.
When did the Texas City explosion take place?
Public commemoration of the event began in June of 1947, when the bodies of the unidentified dead were buried together in a memorial cemetery and park, and in 1991 a new section was added to the park. American National Red Cross, Texas City Explosion, April 16, 1947 (Washington: Red Cross, 1948).
What was the name of the ship that exploded in Texas City?
The SS Wilson B. Keene, destroyed in the disaster’s second explosion. The Texas City disaster was an industrial accident that occurred April 16, 1947, in the Port of Texas City, Texas. It was the deadliest industrial accident in U.S. history, and one of history’s largest non-nuclear explosions.
What was the worst disaster in Texas history?
Texas City Disaster. One of the worst disasters in Texas history occurred on April 16, 1947, when the ship SS Grandcamp exploded at 9:12 A.M. at the docks in Texas City.
How many people died in the Texas City fire?
All but one member of the 28-man Texas City volunteer fire department were killed in the initial explosion on the docks while fighting the shipboard fire. With fires raging throughout Texas City, first responders from other areas were initially unable to reach the site of the disaster.