In 1917, two ships collided in Halifax Harbour. One of them was packed with explosives. What happened next became one of the largest human-made explosions the world had ever seen.
A Collision in Halifax Harbour
On the morning of December 6, 1917, Halifax was a major wartime port.
The French ship Mont-Blanc was carrying a dangerous cargo of explosives when it collided with the Norwegian vessel Imo in Halifax Harbour.
Mont-Blanc caught fire.
People gathered to watch.
They had no idea what was aboard.
Then the Ship Exploded
At approximately 9:04 that morning, Mont-Blanc exploded.
The blast devastated large sections of Halifax and Dartmouth, destroyed or damaged thousands of buildings and generated a tsunami.
Nearly 2,000 people were killed and around 9,000 were injured. Thousands were left without homes.
And because history apparently decided Halifax hadn’t experienced enough that day, a winter storm arrived the following day and complicated rescue efforts.
The Aftermath
Aid poured into Halifax from Canada and beyond.
Boston became particularly associated with the relief effort, beginning a relationship that is still remembered today.
The disaster also influenced medicine, public health, social welfare and the safer reconstruction of devastated neighborhoods.
Two ships had collided.
One was carrying enough explosives to devastate a city.
History can be ugly.
But this? This was ridiculous.
Key Facts
- Event: Halifax Explosion
- Date: December 6, 1917
- Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Ships: SS Mont-Blanc and SS Imo
- Deaths: Nearly 2,000
- Injured: Approx. 9,000
- Context: World War I
