The Halifax Explosion

It was a day that started off the same as any other day. Family members were saying goodbye as they raced off to work and school. Teens were talking about things they were planning to do and how important it was to go to the latest event. But within a matter of minutes, the talk soon changed, and horror filled the area. For thousands of people, their lives would never be the same.

Two ships, a Norwegian vessel named Imo and SS Mont Blanc a cargo ship loaded with explosives, were sailing straight towards each other in what is known as the Narrows. Imo was chartered to pick up relief supplies that were needed from New York. Neither ship knew until it was too late that they were doomed. At approximately 8:45 a.m., they collided and a horrible chain of events then ensued.

The SS Mont Blanc, being loaded with explosives, soon ignited due to the impact of the collision. Approximately 2000 innocent people lost their lives tragically that day. Buildings were collapsing all around the area, and about 9000 people were injured physically and traumatized emotionally due to this. This all happened in a mere 20 minutes, but to the people involved it seemed to go on forever. As the horror continued to unfold in front of their eyes, people were screaming and shielding their children's faces as devastation escalated all around them. Almost all structures within an 800 meter radius were wiped out, and this included the whole community of Richmond. To add to this horror was a blizzard that was to arrive the next day. People labeled that the "blizzard of glass" as it hindered all efforts to clean up and shattered people's lives even more.