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 at the West Texas fertilizer plant?
On April 17, 2013, firefighters responded to a fire at the West Fertilizer Company, a storage and distribution facility in West, Texas, a town of approximately 2,900 north of Waco. While crews worked to contain the fire, the site exploded, leveling homes, businesses and other buildings, including a nearby school.
How many people died in the West Texas fertilizer plant explosion?
15
On April 17, 2013, the West Fertilizer Company’s storage and distribution facility exploded, killing 15 and injuring more than 150. The blast leveled city blocks and left a crater 93 feet wide and 12 feet deep. The people of West have been rebuilding ever since. On Saturday, the long-awaited memorial was unveiled.
What caused the explosion in West TX?
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 causes fertilizer explosion?
Ammonium nitrate, which is used in fertilizers and bomb making, is a salt made from ammonium and nitric acid, and it is highly explosive. The more ammonium nitrate, or NH4-NO3, the bigger its explosive capacity. Once a reaction is sparked, ammonium nitrate explodes violently.
Who died in West Texas explosion?
The deceased victims were Morris Bridges, Perry Calvin, Jerry Dane Chapman, Cody Frank Dragoo, Kenneth Harris, Adolph Lander, James Matus, Judith Ann Monroe, Joseph Pustejovsky, Cyrus Adam Reed, Mariano C. Saldivar, Kevin William Sanders, Douglas Snokhous, Robert Snokhous and William Uptmor, Jr.
What happened with the explosion in West Texas?
HOUSTON – The fertilizer plant explosion and fire in West, Texas, happened on April 17, 2013, killing 15 people and causing hundreds of injuries among the rural area’s 2,800 people.
What plant blew up 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.
Can fertilizer explode by itself?
Once ammonium nitrate reaches 210 degrees Celsius, it starts to melt, quickly producing a bunch of gases, mainly nitrous oxide, water vapor and nitrogen gas. If those gases can’t escape, temperatures go up and the reaction gets faster and faster. Now this on its own could lead to an explosion.
What fertilizer has ammonium nitrate?
Ammonium nitrate is the “N” in N-P-K synthetic lawn fertilizer. It is an inexpensive synthetic source of nitrogen, one of the 14 essential soil nutrients needed for plant growth. Lawn grass needs a steady supply of nitrogen to thrive and must be replenished regularly.