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Texas City, 1947
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Dark HistoryJun 14, 2026

Texas City, 1947

Texas City, 1947 A French freighter caught fire at the dock. It carried 2,300 tons of ammonium nitrate. Crowds gathered to watch the orange smoke. Then it detonated. The blast leveled the town. A second ship exploded the next day. Nearly 600 people died. The anchor flew two miles inland.

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Source

Texas State Historical Association, 'Texas City Disaster'; Stephen Minutaglio, 2003, 'City on Fire: The Forgotten Disaster That Devastated a Town'

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