On 30 August 2024, near Bororen, Queensland, a utility vehicle crashed head-on with a truck transporting 42.5 tonnes of ammonium nitrate which exploded.
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On 30 August 2024, near Bororen, Queensland, a utility vehicle crashed head-on with a truck transporting 42.5 tonnes of ammonium nitrate which exploded.
At approximately 5:10 am AEST, a utility vehicle collided head-on with a truck transporting 42.5 tonnes of ammonium nitrate near Bororen, Queensland approximately 400 kilometres north of Brisbane, killing the driver of the utility vehicle and seriously injuring the truck driver. [1] [2] The cause of the crash is under investigation. [3]
The truck was transporting 42.5 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, a highly explosive fertiliser. [4] Following the crash the truck caught fire and the driver was pulled from the truck by bystanders. Ammonium nitrate leaked onto the Bruce Highway, a major highway in Queensland. [5] First responders ordered an evacuation of a 2.5 kilometre radius of the crash, [3] and decided to not extinguish the fire because of the inherent risk. [5]
The ammonium nitrate exploded at 9:40 am AEST causing a shockwave that was felt as far as Gladstone, 55 kilometres away from the site. [5] A mushroom cloud rose into the sky and the explosion threw debris 50 metres. [1]
There were no casualties from the explosion. There was minor damage to powerlines in the area and some spot fires. [5] The truck driver was airlifted to hospital. [1]
Ammonium nitrate is a chemical compound with the formula NH4NO3. It is a white crystalline salt consisting of ions of ammonium and nitrate. It is highly soluble in water and hygroscopic as a solid, although it does not form hydrates. It is predominantly used in agriculture as a high-nitrogen fertilizer.
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