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rodfarva
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Registered: 07/31/07
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Beware of the sugar dust explosion
#7994645 - 02/08/08 01:02 AM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080208/ap_on_re_us/refinery_blast
By RUSS BYNUM, Associated Press Writer 35 minutes ago
PORT WENTWORTH, Ga. - An explosion and fire at a sprawling sugar refinery rattled this Savannah suburb Thursday night, severely injuring dozens of people and sending authorities into a nearby river to search for possible victims, officials said.
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No deaths were immediately reported in the blast, which a company official said was probably caused by sugar dust. Ninety-five to 100 people were believed to be working in the area of the blast, and six were unaccounted for, said Chief Michael Berkow of the Savannah-Chatham County police.
"As far as we know, it was a sugar dust explosion," Imperial Sugar CEO John Sheptor said. The blast happened in a silo where refined sugar is stored until it is packaged, he said.
At least 40 people were taken to hospitals, and eight of them were flown to a burn center in Augusta, 130 miles up the Savannah River, he said.
"There was fire all over the building," said Nakishya Hill, a machine operator who said she escaped from the third floor of the refinery, on the Savannah River.
"All I know is, I heard a loud boom and everything came down," said Hill, who was uninjured except for blisters on her elbow.
"When I got up, I went down and found a couple of people and we climbed out of there from the third floor to the first floor. Half of the floor was gone. The second floor was debris, the first floor was debris.
"All I could do when I got down was take off running," she said.
Dr. Jay Goldstein of Memorial University Medical Center said 30 to 35 patients were being treated, all in critical condition and most with "significant burns." Candler Hospital reported three patients in serious condition.
A triage center was set up at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Port Wentworth, where Savannah-Chatham police Maj. Gerry Long said 28 had been sent on to hospitals.
"They are still looking for and bringing people out," she said about 9:30 p.m.
Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Lynn said shipping was shut down on the Savannah River while the waterway was searched for potential victims.
"It's a large facility, and there is still a significant amount of fire," said Clayton Scott, assistant director of the Chatham County Emergency Management Agency.
The plant is a Savannah landmark. Imperial, based in Sugar Land, Texas, acquired Savannah Foods & Industries, which produced Dixie Crystals, in 1997. The acquisition doubled the size of the company, making it the largest processor and refiner of sugar in the country, according to the company Web site.
Imperial markets some of the country's leading consumer brands — Imperial, Dixie Crystals and Holly — as well as supplying sugar and sweetener products to industrial food manufacturers.
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CaptainH13
Scum


Registered: 10/29/04
Posts: 10,287
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Re: Beware of the sugar dust explosion [Re: rodfarva]
#7994663 - 02/08/08 01:14 AM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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if i remember correctly, nearly any hydrocarbon in a fine dust form can cause massive explosions.
grain elevator explosions and whatnot.
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Cancer
la Nebulosa del cangrejo



Registered: 01/23/08
Posts: 384
Loc: under da C
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Re: Beware of the sugar dust explosion [Re: CaptainH13]
#7994833 - 02/08/08 03:07 AM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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so wait... sugar can blow up?
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sam420
CertifiedReptilianOverlord



Registered: 01/14/05
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Re: Beware of the sugar dust explosion [Re: Cancer]
#7994875 - 02/08/08 04:19 AM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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I think you can make a bomb with flour. Something to do with disturbing the flour with a puff of air next to a lit flame.
It's something I read in the Jolly Roger when I was 15 though. And the banana skins thing sure as fuck isn't true.
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i'm a spy huntin rap dinosaur from the future
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Bridgeburner
Not spiritual at all.




Registered: 09/16/06
Posts: 20,010
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Re: Beware of the sugar dust explosion [Re: sam420]
#7994951 - 02/08/08 05:42 AM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
sam420 said: I think you can make a bomb with flour. Something to do with disturbing the flour with a puff of air next to a lit flame.
true. it happened a lot in old windmills that grinded grain to flour. it also happens in sawmills - sawdust blows up better than sugar or flour. no joke.
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Ferris
PsychedelicJourneyman



Registered: 03/12/06
Posts: 11,529
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Re: Beware of the sugar dust explosion [Re: Bridgeburner]
#7994961 - 02/08/08 05:52 AM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Nitro glyceren is a sugar, so I guess the explosion would act something akin to that.
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rodfarva
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Registered: 07/31/07
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Re: Beware of the sugar dust explosion [Re: Ferris]
#7995316 - 02/08/08 09:00 AM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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thankgod ive kept my sugar in a safe place all these years.
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trendal
J♠



Registered: 04/17/01
Posts: 20,815
Loc: Ontario, Canada
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Re: Beware of the sugar dust explosion [Re: sam420]
#7995330 - 02/08/08 09:04 AM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
sam420 said: I think you can make a bomb with flour. Something to do with disturbing the flour with a puff of air next to a lit flame.
We did this experiment in chemistry class in highschool.
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Once, men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.
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trendal
J♠



Registered: 04/17/01
Posts: 20,815
Loc: Ontario, Canada
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Re: Beware of the sugar dust explosion [Re: Ferris]
#7995342 - 02/08/08 09:08 AM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
Ferris said: Nitro glyceren is a sugar, so I guess the explosion would act something akin to that.
Not at all...table sugar isn't a high explosive like nitro-glycerin.
Table sugar acts more like gasoline...it burns in the air (albeit very fast) instead of actually detonating.
The effects of the two types of explosion are very different.
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Once, men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.
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rodfarva
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Registered: 07/31/07
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Re: Beware of the sugar dust explosion [Re: trendal]
#7995365 - 02/08/08 09:14 AM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Thanks for sheding some light on this, i guess it just sounded rediculous. Ill consider my mind expanded.
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SheikCorp
Stranger

Registered: 01/09/08
Posts: 2,274
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Re: Beware of the sugar dust explosion [Re: trendal]
#7995393 - 02/08/08 09:21 AM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
trendal said:
Quote:
Ferris said: Nitro glyceren is a sugar, so I guess the explosion would act something akin to that.
Not at all...table sugar isn't a high explosive like nitro-glycerin.
Table sugar acts more like gasoline...it burns in the air (albeit very fast) instead of actually detonating.
The effects of the two types of explosion are very different.
Just like diesel throw a match on a puddle and it won't burn, but particulate it into the air and off it goes.
With the sugar, it probably wasn't the actual grains of sugar, but the fine dust that got kicked up and suspended in the air.
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BurningBeard
The IncomparableMr. Flannery

Registered: 01/23/08
Posts: 327
Loc: The bottom of the bottle.
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Re: Beware of the sugar dust explosion [Re: SheikCorp]
#7995528 - 02/08/08 09:49 AM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Wow... granulated firestorm of death.
Is it wrong that a small part of me finds this a little humorous?
St. Peter, "And, how came you to our pearlie gates, good faithful servant?"
Anon dead man, "Exploding sugar."
St. Peter, "Ah. Just another one. Welp, that's comparable to Hell. At least you're prepared."
Insert trap door. Down goes anon. Bwahahahahaha!
-------------------- Daedalus, your child is falling and the Labyrinth is calling. Renegade heaps, humanity abandoned Bower of the vowels, you lit them and fanned them. Mercury, the courier, celestial messenger Bed with Dawn, your bride. Arrowhead of Diane, pierce the mind of a man, Tongueless muse of time
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SheikCorp
Stranger

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Re: Beware of the sugar dust explosion [Re: BurningBeard]
#7995531 - 02/08/08 09:50 AM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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what a sweet way to go.
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Nexius
Ruler



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Re: Beware of the sugar dust explosion [Re: Bridgeburner]
#7995540 - 02/08/08 09:53 AM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
b0red5tiff said:
Quote:
sam420 said: I think you can make a bomb with flour. Something to do with disturbing the flour with a puff of air next to a lit flame.
true. it happened a lot in old windmills that grinded grain to flour. it also happens in sawmills - sawdust blows up better than sugar or flour. no joke.
Isn't sawdust used in some bombs? O.o
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BurningBeard
The IncomparableMr. Flannery

Registered: 01/23/08
Posts: 327
Loc: The bottom of the bottle.
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Re: Beware of the sugar dust explosion [Re: SheikCorp]
#7995541 - 02/08/08 09:53 AM (15 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
SheikCorp said: what a sweet way to go.
Rimshot! Oooh! Hahaha!
-------------------- Daedalus, your child is falling and the Labyrinth is calling. Renegade heaps, humanity abandoned Bower of the vowels, you lit them and fanned them. Mercury, the courier, celestial messenger Bed with Dawn, your bride. Arrowhead of Diane, pierce the mind of a man, Tongueless muse of time
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