What caused Texas City fire?
The cause of the initial fire on board the Grandcamp was never determined. It may have been started by a cigarette discarded the previous day, meaning the ship’s cargo had been smouldering throughout the night when the fire was discovered on the morning of the day of the explosion.
What happened at BP Texas City explosion?
At approximately 1:20 p.m. on March 23, 2005, a series of explosions occurred at the BP Texas City refinery during the restarting of a hydrocarbon isomerization unit. Fifteen workers were killed and 180 others were injured. Many of the victims were in or around work trailers located near an atmospheric vent stack.
What happened to Texas City Texas?
Texas City explosion of 1947, industrial disaster sparked by the fire and explosion of the SS Grandcamp on April 16–17, 1947, in Texas City, Texas. The blast set off a chain of fires as well as a 15-foot (4.5-metre) tidal wave. Between 400 and 600 people were killed, with as many as 4,000 injured.
How much in fines did BP pay for the Texas City incident?
$50.6 million
BP has agreed to pay a record $50.6 million fine to the federal government for safety violations found by regulators last year at its troubled refinery in Texas City, Tex., where 15 workers died in a 2005 explosion.
How long did the Texas City disaster last?
The blast started a chain reaction of explosions and fires that would become known as the Texas City Disaster of 1947. Nearly 600 people died in the blast and during the two days of fiery carnage that followed, and some 3,500 more were injured.
What was the worst industrial accident in history?
The single worst industrial accident in history occurred on December 3, 1984, when some 45 tons of the dangerous gas methyl isocyanate escaped from the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, India.
What caused Texas oil refinery explosion?
The explosion was caused by the overfilling of the raffinate splitter tower and a blowdown drum releasing hot hydrocarbons. The resulting vapour cloud ignited, destroying the ISOM unit.
Who owns the Texas City refinery?
Marathon Petroleum Corporation
BP has completed the previously announced sale of its Texas City, Texas refinery and a portion of its retail and logistics network in the Southeast U.S. to Marathon Petroleum Corporation for an estimated $2.4 billion.
What is Texas City known for?
Texas City is a city in Galveston County in the U.S. state of Texas. Located on the southwest shoreline of Galveston Bay, Texas City is a busy deepwater port on Texas’s Gulf Coast, as well as a petroleum-refining and petrochemical-manufacturing center.
How many people were killed in the Texas City explosion?
600 people
Nearly 600 people died in the blast and during the two days of fiery carnage that followed, and some 3,500 more were injured. The incident still reigns as the deadliest industrial accident in United States history after 75 years.
What changes were made after the Texas City disaster?
The disaster brought changes in chemical manufacturing and new regulations for the bagging, handling, and shipping of chemicals.