How many people died in the West Texas fertilizer plant explosion?

15 people
WEST, TEXAS — Tuesday marks five years since an intentionally-set fire caused an explosion at the West Fertilizer Company in the small town of West, TX, killing 15 people, injuring more than 260 and damaging hundreds of homes.

What plant exploded in Texas today?

Fire breaks out in Baytown, Texas HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – An explosion at an ExxonMobil plant in Texas injured four people early Thursday, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. The oil plant said the fire broke out around 1 a.m. in Baytown, Texas, east of Houston.

What caused the fertilizer plant explosion in West Texas?

The explosion occurred after a fire broke out in the plant. Investigators from the Texas Department of Insurance and State Fire Marshall’s Office concluded ammonium nitrate was the cause of the explosion.

Why do fertilizer plants explode?

The ingredients used to create fertilizer can be highly volatile—particularly ammonium nitrate, which has been used as an oxidizing agent in many explosive devices. Because of this risk, there are stringent safety regulations regarding fertilizer plants to lower the risk of plant explosions and chemical fires.

How much ammonium nitrate was in the West Texas explosion?

about 2,700 tons
At least 135 people have died and another 5,000 were hurt after about 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate ignited inside a warehouse near the port.

What is the deadliest industrial disaster in US history?

The 1947 Texas City disaster was an industrial accident that occurred on Wednesday, April 16, 1947, in the Port of Texas City, Texas, United States, at Galveston Bay. It was the deadliest industrial accident in U.S. history and one of history’s largest non-nuclear explosions.

How powerful are fertilizer bombs?

The combination of unstable nitrogen bonds in the fertilizer, plus heat from the fire, resulted in an explosion as powerful as a 2.1 magnitude earthquake.