1992 Guadalajara explosions
1992 Guadalajara explosions
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Location of Guadalajara
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| Date |
April 22, 1992 |
| Time |
10:05 - 11:16 (UTC-5) |
| Location |
Analco, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico |
| Also known as |
Guadalajara gasoline explosion |
| Reported injuries |
500+ |
| Reported death(s) |
252 |
| Reported property damage |
thousands homes affected |
| Conviction(s) |
4 Pemex officials charged for negligence |
The 1992 Guadalajara explosions took place on April 22, 1992, in the downtown district of Analco. Numerous gasoline explosions in the sewer system over four hours destroyed 8 kilometers of streets.[1] Gante Street was the most damaged. Officially, by the Lloyds of London accounting, 252 people were killed, nearly 500 injured and 15,000 were left homeless. The estimated monetary damage ranges between $300 million and $1 billion. The affected areas can be recognized by the more modern architecture in the areas that were destroyed.[2]
Three days before the explosion, residents started complaining of a strong gasoline-like smell coming from the sewers. Some residents even found gasoline coming out of their water pipes. City workers were dispatched to check the sewers and found dangerously high levels of gasoline fumes. Unfortunately, the city mayor did not feel it was necessary to evacuate the city because he felt that there was no risk for an explosion.[3]
Chronology of events
Before the explosions:
- April 19: Residents of Ghent Street send reports to the City of Guadalajara, reporting that there is a strong smell of gasoline from the water intakes as well as smoke coming from the sewers.
- April 21: Workers of the council and management of Civil Protection go to Ghent Street to make revisions. They find strong levels of gasoline and other hydrocarbons, but say it is not necessary to evacuate the area.
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- 10:00: The manhole covers begin to bounce and columns of white smoke start coming out of them.
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- 10:05: The first two explosions are recorded, the first in the corner of Calzada Independencia and Aldama street, and the second at the intersection of Ghent and 20 November.
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- 10:06: The first call is received on the 060 and was forwarded to automatic voice messenger.
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- 10:08: Third explosion – a route 333 bus that belongs to the Tuts Company is projected through the air on the corner of Ghent and Nicolas Bravo.
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- 10:12: The fourth explosion is registered in Avenida Gonzalez Gallo.
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- 10:15: Workers from the factories located along Avenida Gonzalez Gallo begin to be evacuated.
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- 10:16: Rescue teams and volunteers arrive in areas affected by the explosions.
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- 10:23: The fifth explosion occurs at the intersection of Ghent and Causeway Army.
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- 10:29: The Mexicaltzingo neighborhood is evacuated.
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- 10:31: The sixth explosion is recorded in the intersection of February 5 and Rio Bravo.
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- 10:43: The seventh explosion occurs at the corner of Ghent Street and Silverio Garcia.
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- 11:00: More rescue teams arrive in the affected areas.
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- 11:02: The eighth explosion occurs at the intersection of Av River Nile and the Rio Grande.
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- 11:03: The Atlas colonies, Alamo Industrial, El Rosario, Quinta Velarde, Fractionation Revolution and the center of the municipality of Tlaquepaque, are evacuated.
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- 11:16: The last two explosions occur one at the intersection of Pecos River and Alamo River, and the other in González Gallo and Suchiate River.
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- After 12:00: The fear of more tragedies occur and people across the metropolitan area are begin to uncover the manholes so if there are gases they can escape.
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- 1:38: The residents of neighborhoods like Industrial Zone, March 18, Fresno, July 8, Railroad, The Nogalera, Morelos, Echeverria, Polanco, May 5 and Miravalle and told to be alert to any event that might occur.
After the explosions:
- April 25: Panic in the colonies May 5, the dean, Echeverría and Polanco, firefighters are asked to not light any flames, due to a strong smell of gas, but it was later confirmed it was a leak in a Pemex pipe.
Investigation
An investigation into the disaster found that there were two precipitating causes:
- New water pipes, made of zinc-coated iron, were built too close to an existing steel gasoline pipeline. The underground humidity caused these materials to create an electrolytic reaction, this reaction is akin to that which occurs inside a Zinc-carbon battery, as the reaction proceeded it eventually caused the steel gasoline pipe to corrode, creating a hole in the pipeline that permitted gasoline to leak into the ground and into the main sewer pipe.
- The sewer pipe had been recently rebuilt into a U-shape so that the city could expand their underground railway system. Usually sewers are built in a slope so that gravity helps move waste along. In order to get the U-shape to work, an inverted siphon was placed so that fluids could be pushed against gravity. The design was flawed, however. While liquids were successfully pumped through, gases were not, and gasoline fumes would build up.
A small spark was all that was needed to ignite the dangerous gases.
Aftermath
In the aftermath, city officials and corporations pointed fingers at each other. Some people initially thought a cooking oil manufacturing company was leaking hexane, a flammable liquid similar to gasoline, into the sewers, but this was later found to be erroneous. Numerous arrests were made in an attempt to indict those responsible for the blasts.[4] Four Pemex officials were indicted and charged, on the basis of negligence. Ultimately, however, these people were cleared of all charges.[5]
See also
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Mexico portal |
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Disasters portal |
References
External links