1945 Edgewood Arsenal explosion

1945 Edgewood Arsenal explosion

Date	May 25, 1945 (1945-05-25)
Venue	Building 509 Edgewood Arsenal
Location	Harford County, Maryland, United States
Coordinates	39°23′39″N76°17′36″W / 39.3943°N 76.2933°W / 39.3943; -76.2933
Type	Explosion
Deaths	12
Non-fatal injuries	>50

The 1945 Edgewood Arsenal explosion killed twelve munitions workers and injured more than fifty on May 25, 1945. Building 509 at Edgewood Arsenal in Harford County, Maryland was a production facility for the assembly of phosphorus igniter assemblies for incendiary bombs, employing a female staff of about 135 assemblers. Nine workers, of whom eight were African-American, were killed in the initial blast, and three more died of their injuries. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

References

1. "11 KILLED, 52 HURT IN ARSENAL BLAST". New York Times. May 26, 1945.
2. "Flames Sweep Arsenal After Blast Kills 9". Charleston Gazette. AP. May 25, 1945.
3. Smith, Stacy (March 1, 2017). "Local woman recalls 1945 Edgewood Arsenal explosion". APG News. Retrieved May 17, 2020.