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The Texas City disaster was an industrial accident that occurred April 16, 1947, in the Port of Texas City. It was the deadliest industrial accident in U.S. history, and one of the largest non-nuclear explosions. Originating with a mid-morning fire on board the French-registered vessel SS Grandcamp (docked in the port), her cargo of approximately 2,200 tons (approximately 2,100 metric tons) of ammonium nitrate detonated,[1] with the initial blast and subsequent chain-reaction of further fires and explosions in other ships and nearby oil-storage facilities. It killed at least 581 people, including all but one member of the Texas City fire department.[2] The disaster triggered the first ever class action lawsuit against the United States government, under the then-recently enacted Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), on behalf of 8,485 victims.

По-английски здесь читать: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_City_disaster
По-русски пишет Митрич: http://mi3ch.livejournal.com/3739568.html

Мне, как учителю химии, всё это супер-интересно и супер-важно, пойду почитаю английскую версию как там оно всё случилось.
Ключевой химикат - нитрат аммония. NH4NO3