Time 12:15 am EST Date 8 January 1983 Location Newark | Non-fatal injuries approx. 22-24 injured Total number of deaths 1 | |
At 12:15 am on Saturday, January 8, 1983 the city of Newark, New Jersey had an explosion that destroyed several Texaco oil tanks. The incident is known to have killed one person and injured 24 others. It was notable as it was felt more than 100 miles (160 kilometres) away from the epicenter. People felt the blast as far away as White Plains, New York and Southport, Connecticut. Flames shot up to 1,000 feet (300 metres) into the air as 3,000,000 US gallons (11,000,000 litres; 2,500,000 imperial gallons) of fuel spilled out. Analysis of the disaster indicated "human error" in the 'tank farm' that contained 40 farms and 3,142 tanks. The estimated temperature close to the disaster was somewhere around 2,000 degrees Celsius (3,630 degrees Fahrenheit). Damage was extensive in the immediate vicinity where windows were shattered and several freight cars were destroyed. Many people throughout the New York metropolitan area were awoken from the night time blast. Some thought the explosion happened close to their home. In the aftermath, traffic on the nearby New Jersey Turnpike was snarled by onlookers near the site of the blast.