Halifax Explosion 88 Years On

Tomorrow, survivors of the world's largest manmade non-nuclear explosion will remember the 88th anniversary of their deliverance. The Halifax Explosion, which killed more than 1,600 persons, was the result of a collision between the freighter Imo (Norwegian) and the Frenchman Mont Blanc. The Mont Blanc carried more than 2,000 tons each of TNT and picric acid, as well as 55 tons of gun cotton and smaller amounts of other explosive war materials. In the explosion, much of the Mont Blanc simply vaporized, even as about 1,000 persons died instantly, 9,000 were injured, and 325 acres of city were destroyed. Eye injuries, caused by flying fragments of glass, were among the worst the survivors faced (windows were shattered as far away as Truro, which is about 100 clicks distant).

For full details about the explosion, click here.
For full details of survivors' memories of the day, click here.