Coode Island Explosion

305 Words2 Pages
August 21, 1991 little after 2 pm, when an explosion occurred on Coode Island, a 600,000 litre chemical storage tank that was filled with acrylonitrile caught on fire and exploded. The fire burned extreme hazardous chemicals including, methyl ethyl ketone, acrylonitrile, and benzene forming clouds of toxic black smoke more than 18 miles from the site, prompting the closure of roads and evacuation of Schools, nearby buildings and ships. All residents were told to stay inside with doors and windows closed to avoid smoke from entering the building. Tank number 80that was containing acrylonitrile (vinyl cyanide) monomer went into the air which discharged its contents into the tank bund. The tank and its associated pipework came crashing down,