Explosion of Ammonium—Sulfate Nitrate Double Salt Fertilizer at Oppau

1 Explosion of ammonium—sulfate nitrate double salt fertilizer at Oppau 

A disastrous accident occurred at a BASF s plant in Oppau, Germany, with two explosions at 7 29 and 7 31 a.m. on September 21, 1921, resulting in a casualty list of 509 dead, 160 missing, and 1,952 injured. 

The plant and about 70% of the 1,000 nearby houses were destroyed by the explosions. 

The cause of the accident was the blasting with dynamite of about 4,500t of a solidified mass of ammonium sulfate nitrate compound fertilizer (a double salt of ammonium sulfate and nitrate in a mole ratio of 1 2). This process had been practiced under supervision for many years, and about 30,000 blasting procedures had been experienced without accidents until the Oppau disaster. 

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