Existing comment:
Texas City Explosion
(16 April 1947)
More than 500 people were killed and 5,000 more were injured when the cargo ship Grandcamp, containing 2,400 pounds of ammonium nitrate, exploded in Texas City, Texas. Within 15 minutes, Army ambulances and crews began rescue and evacuation operations. Fifteen hours later, a second ship, the High Flyer, exploded. Personnel from the Army Corps of Engineers established radio communications and supplied fire-fighting equipment. The 32d Medical Battalion, with 36 doctors and 40 nurses, provided medical assistance. Cooks from the 41st Armored Infantry Battalion and the 66th Tank Battalion from Camp Hood, Texas, provided hot coffee and sandwiches 24 hours a day. |