What caused Texas City explosion?

A giant explosion occurs during the loading of fertilizer onto the freighter Grandcamp at a pier in Texas City, Texas, on April 16, 1947. Ammonium nitrate was used as an explosive by the U.S. Army in World War II and, after the war ended, production of the chemical continued as its use as a fertilizer became accepted.

When was the Texas City Disaster?

April 16, 1947
Texas City disaster/Start dates

How much did the Texas City explosion cost?

LONDON (Reuters) – BP’s compensation bill for an explosion at its Texas City refinery in 2005 which killed 15 workers has passed $2 billion, a spokesman for the oil giant said on Tuesday.

What is the world’s worst industrial disaster?

Bhopal disaster
The Bhopal disaster, also referred to as the Bhopal gas tragedy, was a gas leak incident on the night of 2–3 December 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. It is considered among the world’s worst industrial disasters.

What was the main industry of Texas City?

The Texas City economy has long been based on heavy industry, particularly shipping at the Port of Texas City, as well as petroleum and petrochemical refining. The Texas City Industrial Complex is a leading center of the petrochemical industry.

What happens if a refinery explodes?

By the creation of gases, the build-up of heat, and the reaction, a chemical plant can become the source of serious and debilitating explosions. These can result in serious plant explosion injuries, such as third-degree burns, and even severe property damage that can affect the local community for years to come.

What is the most deadliest accident in the world?

This factor is considered responsible for the explosion.

  • The disaster of Courrières (France)
  • The explosion of Benxihu Colliery (China)
  • Bhopal accident, India.
  • The Deepwater Horizon oil disaster.
  • The Chernobyl disaster (Ukraine)

What is Texas city known for?

Located on the southwest shoreline of Galveston Bay, Texas City is a busy deepwater port on Texas’ Gulf Coast, as well as a petroleum-refining and petrochemical-manufacturing center. The city is notable as the site of a major explosion in 1947 that demolished the port and much of the city.

What number is Texas in the 50 states?

28th
Texas, constituent state of the United States of America. It became the 28th state of the union in 1845.

Who owns BP Texas?

Marathon Petroleum Corporation
BP has completed the previously announced sale of its Texas City, Texas refinery and a portion of its retail and logistics network in the Southeast U.S. to Marathon Petroleum Corporation for an estimated $2.4 billion.

Why was there an explosion in Texas City in 1947?

Prior to April 16, 1947 almost a hundred thousand tons of ammonium nitrate had passed through the port at Texas City for onward shipment to other countries. There had been no incidents in this time and so the assumption that it was not an explosive substance was reinforced.

What was the date of the Texas City disaster?

1947 Texas City Disaster The Texas City Disaster April 16, 1947 The morning of 16 April 1947 dawned clear and crisp, cooled by a brisk north wind.

Who was the fire chief of Texas City in 1947?

Marion “Jack” Donnis Westmorland with hard hat on directly behind the Chief. Fire Chief Buamgartner center with hat on. It was now about 8:30. At this point, growing pressure from the compressed steam fed into Hold 4 blew off the hatch covers, and a thick column of orange smoke billowed into the morning sky.

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.