Human consequences
The many eye injuries caused by flying glass advance ophthalmology in Canada.
Home › All disasters › Halifax Explosion
IndustrialHalifax Explosion
2,000Deaths
25,000Displaced / homeless
Not quantifiedEstimated cost
- About 2,000 dead and 9,000 injured.
The French cargo ship Mont-Blanc, loaded with military explosives, collides with the Imo and explodes: the most powerful man-made explosion before the atomic bomb.
Consequences
Environmental consequences
A local tsunami sweeps the harbour; the Richmond district is flattened.
Economic consequences
More than 1,600 buildings destroyed in the middle of a war economy.
Political consequences
Port safety rules for dangerous cargo are tightened; every year Halifax gives Boston a Christmas tree in thanks for its help.
Further reading
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In the rankings : The worst industrial and nuclear disasters No. 3
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