What caused the explosion at the West Fertilizer Company in 2013?
What caused the explosion at the West Fertilizer Company in 2013?
On April 17, 2013, an explosion at the West Fertilizer Company in West, Texas killed 15 people, injured at least 200 more and damaged 350 homes. Investigators from the Texas Department of Insurance and State Fire Marshall’s Office concluded ammonium nitrate was the cause of the explosion.
What happened that the West Fertilizer Plant explosion?
More than 200 people were injured, NBC News reported. The force felt was equivalent to that of a magnitude-2.1 earthquake, and a 93-foot-wide crater scarred the site of the fertilizer plant, where dangerous chemicals, including ammonium nitrate, were stored.
What caused the explosion in West Texas?
Explosions in Texas City, West, Texas and Oklahoma City were caused by ammonium nitrate — the same product believed to have blown up in Beirut Tuesday. HOUSTON — Tuesday’s deadly explosion in Beirut is being blamed on fireworks and ammonium nitrate.
What is West Texas famous for?
West is not just any small Texas town. It’s best known for its deep-rooted Czech culture and tight-knit families. And it’s even more famous — and beloved — for its kolaches, the traditional pastry with a dollop of fruit in the middle.
Is ammonium nitrate used for fertilizer?
ammonium nitrate, (NH4NO3), a salt of ammonia and nitric acid, used widely in fertilizers and explosives. The commercial grade contains about 33.5 percent nitrogen, all of which is in forms utilizable by plants; it is the most common nitrogenous component of artificial fertilizers.
How long did the West Texas explosion last?
Fifteen people were killed, more than 160 were injured, and more than 150 buildings were damaged or destroyed. Investigators confirmed that ammonium nitrate was the material that exploded….West Fertilizer Company explosion.
| Explosion site several days after the event | |
|---|---|
| Date | April 17, 2013 |
| Non-fatal injuries | Approximately 160–200 |
What kind of plant exploded in Texas?
Port Neches plant
A year before its Port Neches plant exploded, Houston-based TPC Group had installed monitors along the facility’s fenceline to detect fugitive leaks of 1,3 butadiene — a highly flammable gas produced there.
What caused Watson grinding explosion?
Massive blast damage field treated as crime scene Milanowski was said to believe the spark ignited a propylene leak, leading to the explosion. But it was unclear what caused the leak. In late January 2020, the CEO, John Watson, told ABC13 that he promised to repair all the homes.
What is West Texas called?
Trans-Pecos
West Texas is often subdivided according to distinct physiographic features. The portion of West Texas that lies west of the Pecos River is often referred to as “Far West Texas” or the “Trans-Pecos”, a term first introduced in 1887 by Texas geologist Robert T….
| West Texas | |
|---|---|
| Map of Texas | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
Is Waco considered West Texas?
It includes, roughly speaking, the metropolitan areas of Dallas-Fort Worth and Wichita Falls and their surrounding counties. North Texas does not include Abilene to the west, Waco to the south, or Tyler to the east.
What caused the 2013 West Texas fertilizer plant explosion?
Deadly West, Texas, Fertilizer Plant Explosion Was ‘Criminal Act’: Feds A fertilizer plant blast that killed 15 people and injured 160 others in April 2013 was caused by a criminal act, federal officials said Wednesday. Rescue personnel search an apartment complex after the West Fertilizer plant exploded April 18, 2013, in West, Texas.
What happened in the 2013 Waco Texas explosion?
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia On April 17, 2013, an ammonium nitrate explosion occurred at the West Fertilizer Company storage and distribution facility in West, Texas, United States (eighteen miles (29 km) north of Waco), while emergency services personnel were responding to a fire at the facility.
How big was the explosion in West Texas?
Those living in and around West report that the blast felt like an earthquake. The United States Geological Survey recorded the explosion as a 2.1-magnitude tremor. The blast was heard in nearby Hillsboro, Waxahachie, DeSoto, and as far north as Arlington. Windows were blown out in Abbott, 7 miles (11 km) NNE of West.
Who is involved in the McLennan explosion case?
In May 2013, the Texas Department of Public Safety instructed the Texas Rangers and the McLennan Sheriff’s Department to join the Texas Fire Marshall’s Office and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, in the criminal investigation into the explosion.