Texas City disaster

The Texas City Disaster of April 16, 1947, consisted of the detonation of approximately 2300 tons of ammonium nitrate on board the French vessel Grandcamp. Approximately an hour and a quarter after fire was reported on board the Grandcamp, the vessel detonated, causing great destruction and damage to the port at Texas City. In an adjacent slip, the High Flyer had an additional 1000 tons of ammonium nitrate. Although severely damaged, the crew was busy attending to the emergency at hand. About 15 hours after the Grandcamp blew up, the High Flyer, being towed out of the port after smoke started pouring out of the hold, also blew up.

Generally considered the worst industrial accident in US history, 405 dead were identified; 63 more were never identified. About 100 people were classified as missing, and never found.

Ammonium nitrate is not known for being capable of detonating without being mixed with a fuel. The disaster at Texas City may be due at least in part to the fact that the ammonium nitrate was destined for a tropical region, and "waterproofed" with paraffin or other solid hydrocarbon that rendered the mixture detonable under the peculiar conditions found in the conflagration.