4. The Halifax Explosion (1917)
On December 6, 1917, a catastrophic collision occurred in Halifax Harbour, Nova Scotia, between the Norwegian vessel SS Imo and the French munitions ship SS Mont-Blanc. The Mont-Blanc, laden with highly explosive materials—including 2,300 tons of picric acid, 200 tons of TNT, 35 tons of high-octane gasoline, and 10 tons of gun cotton—caught fire after the collision. Despite efforts to warn the harbor, the ship exploded at 9:05 a.m., releasing a blast equivalent to 2.9 kilotons of TNT. The explosion resulted in the deaths of nearly 2,000 people, injured approximately 9,000 others, and destroyed over 1,600 homes, leaving 6,000 people homeless. The devastation underscored the immense destructive potential of chemical explosives during wartime. For more detailed information, refer to the Canadian Encyclopedia’s account of the Halifax Explosion. (thecanadianencyclopedia.ca)
