The Texas City disaster was an accident in April 16, 1947, in the Port of Texas City, it’s was the deadliest industrial accident in U.S. history, and one of the largest non-nuclear explosions. Fire started on board the French-registered vessel SS Grandcamp her goods of roughly 2,300 tons of ammonium nitrate ignated, with the initial blast and with chain-reaction of further fires and explosions in other ships and nearby oil-storage facilities killing at least 581 people, including all but one member of the Texas City fire department. The disaster cause the first ever class action lawsuit against the United States government, under the then-recently enacted Federal Tort Claims Act on behalf of 8,485 victims.
Some of the deaths and damage in Texas City were due to the destruction and continuous burning of several chemical plants oil storage, and other facilities near the explosions. 27 of the 28 members of Texas City's volunteer fire department and 3 members of the Texas City Heights Volunteer Fire Department who were on …show more content…
The vessel then detonated, causing great destruction and damage throughout the port. The tremendous blast sent a 15-foot wave that was detectable nearly 100 miles off the Texas shoreline. The blast leveled nearly 1,000 buildings on land. The Grandcamp explosion destroyed the Monsanto Chemical Company plant and resulted in ignition of refineries and chemical tanks on the waterfront. Falling bales of burning twine from the ship's cargo added to the damage while the Grandcamp anchor was hurled across the city. Two sightseeing airplanes flying nearby had their wings shorn off, forcing them out of the sky. People felt the shock 250 miles away in Louisiana. The explosion blew almost 6,350 short tons of the ship's steel into the air, some at great speed. Casualty estimates came to a total of 567, including all the crewmen who remained on board the
Some of the deaths and damage in Texas City were due to the destruction and continuous burning of several chemical plants oil storage, and other facilities near the explosions. 27 of the 28 members of Texas City's volunteer fire department and 3 members of the Texas City Heights Volunteer Fire Department who were on …show more content…
The vessel then detonated, causing great destruction and damage throughout the port. The tremendous blast sent a 15-foot wave that was detectable nearly 100 miles off the Texas shoreline. The blast leveled nearly 1,000 buildings on land. The Grandcamp explosion destroyed the Monsanto Chemical Company plant and resulted in ignition of refineries and chemical tanks on the waterfront. Falling bales of burning twine from the ship's cargo added to the damage while the Grandcamp anchor was hurled across the city. Two sightseeing airplanes flying nearby had their wings shorn off, forcing them out of the sky. People felt the shock 250 miles away in Louisiana. The explosion blew almost 6,350 short tons of the ship's steel into the air, some at great speed. Casualty estimates came to a total of 567, including all the crewmen who remained on board the