[IronBeer]

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/17/17800341-we-need-your-prayers-hundreds-injured-in-explosion-at-texas-fertilizer-plant?lite

Not much else to really say. This looks bad- there aren't even good figures on the number of dead/injured yet.

That said, one of my friends has connections with EMS types and reports the following:

*The FAA has put a no-fly zone into effect 3 miles around West and below 3,000 feet

*5 fire fighters and 1 police officer died in the blast

*Director of West EMS believes there are 60-70 dead [This is based on expected proximity to explosion. This number may change drastically in any direction]

*75-100 homes and businesses completely destroyed

*Frisco FD called in from over 100 miles away

*West has a population of 2,847, there are hundreds that were injured in the blast

*An information hotline was set up for concerned friends and relatives at 254-202-1100

*Explosion occurred at 7:50 pm local time

*"Earthquakes" reported in south Arlington, over 60 miles away

*66 admitted to Hillcrest Hospital with 12 being critical

*Providence Hospital in Waco has received 22 patients

*9 helicopters landed on the scene to evacuate injured

*West Mayor reports that buildings within 5 blocks suffered major damage

*The fire can be smelled as far as west Fort Worth - over 70 miles away

*Parkland Hospital in Dallas received 2 patients, 1 by air and 1 by ambulance

*133 residents of a nearby nursing home had to be evacuated

*Hillsboro Hospital has received 29 patients and is expecting another bus

*Frisco FD has sent an ambulance bus which can transport and treat 20 patients at once

Rough week.

[yuezhi]

april fools is going a long way over the edge this year.

[Black_Yoshi1230]

With what happened at Boston and this, I honestly feel like the phrase "boom for the boom god" is no longer hilarious to me.

[Nuke]

sounds like an accident to me. throw in the wrong chemical and your agricultural product becomes a bomb. id even go as far as using this to make the case that theology has no place in science class.

[karajorma]

You don't even need the wrong chemicals. Ammonium nitrate is basically both a fertiliser and an explosive.

[Nuke]

i didnt know it could blow up on its own. guess you learn something new every day.

[headdie]

yep which is why ammonium nitrate based fertilisers were (might still be) banned in Northern Ireland

[karajorma]

It's a better explosive if you mix something else in there (which is why it's more commonly used as the main ingredient in something like ANFO) but even pure ammonium nitrate is an explosive.

[FUBAR-BDHR]

It's amazing how many common things used every day are explosive.  All it takes is the right amount of air to the fuel and boom.  Ever see a grain tower explosion or flower mill go boom?  Sawdust is another great one.  All it takes is some wind and a spark.  They aren't small explosions either (though not quite as powerful as ammonium nitrate). 

[watsisname]

According to the Dallas Morning News, the plant informed the Environmental Protection Agency that it presented no risk of fire or explosion.

In a report it filed with the EPA, the plant said that even the worst-case scenario wouldn't be that dire: there would be a 10-minute release of ammonia gas that wouldn't kill or injure anyone, the newspaper reported.

And the Titanic was unsinkable...

Seriously, how can anyone claim that a plant which produces fertilizer could have no explosion risk?  It might as well be a fireworks factory.  Wikipedia has a list of ammonium nitrate disasters which is pretty illuminating.

[Nuke]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryongchon_disaster



it always seems to point to north korea. this might be more effective than their nuclear program.

[headdie]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryongchon_disaster



it always seems to point to north korea. this might be more effective than their nuclear program.

might also be more effective than their rocket fuel

[Wobble73]

Even pumping ammonium nitrate at the wrong pressures can set it off! As Channel 5's "How do they do that" show taught me a couple of weeks ago as they mining a tunnel under a german city with explosives using this stuff! pumping it directly into narrow drill holes setting charges at the ends and setting them off with computer controlled detonators. The journey started at an ammonium nitrate plant.

[Dragon]

Nitrates in general tend to have explosive properties. A good rule of thumb is, if something has "nitrate" or "nitro" in it's name, handle it like an egg, just to be on the safe side. And ammonium nitrate is particularly finicky (and also darn useful, which is why we keep using it).

In a report it filed with the EPA, the plant said that even the worst-case scenario wouldn't be that dire: there would be a 10-minute release of ammonia gas that wouldn't kill or injure anyone, the newspaper reported.

I guess the EPA guys slept on their chemistry lessons. Any quantity of ammonium nitrate = explosion risk. If mishandled, this stuff will go up in flames. It's not as bad as nitroglycerin, but it's also not C4 (which needs an electric spark to explode and thus pretty safe as far as explosives go).

[Phantom Hoover]

I want to mock you for thinking that you know more about explosive hazards than the EPA but I really don't even know where to start.

[Suongadon]

This "quote" you're all getting worked up about is very likely nothing more than a B-Media hatchet-job of a pretty loving typical part of a report that would begin something like "As we (or they//Company X) are in compliance with regulations, {the quote}." 

editing cause the crap was split out: And the stuff this guy says.

[The E]

I've split out and locked the "Lorric tries to moderate" business, as promised.

[Lorric]

I've split out and locked the "Lorric tries to moderate" business, as promised.

Just so you know, I didn't see your post above mine, as I came in via the recent comments, and your post was the first one on the next page, so I didn't see it. I wouldn't have posted if I did. And I'll try using the button in future. If you don't want this post in the thread, you can just delete it, or stick it on the end of the split locked thread.

[watsisname]

This "quote" you're all getting worked up about is very likely nothing more than a B-Media hatchet-job of a pretty loving typical part of a report that would begin something like "As we (or they//Company X) are in compliance with regulations, {the quote}." 

editing cause the crap was split out: And the stuff this guy says.

Yeah, this is very probably true, at least I hope.  I imagine it's supposed to say something along the lines of "we've met the safety protocols for producing and handling this stuff to minimize the fire/explosion risk".  But saying "factory that produces explosives claims it has no risk of exploding; explodes anyway" elicits a bigger response from readers.

[Phantom Hoover]

I'm, uh, not really sure what authority Michio Kaku has to speak about this except being a Guy What Does Science, being as he is a theoretical physicist.