Main Facts
- Location: Cali, Colombia
- Hour: 01:07 UTC -5
- Coordinates: 3°N 76°O
- Cause:
- Deaths: 1,300 to 4,000
- Injuries: 4,000 to 12,000
This is a brief review of the catastrophic explosion occurred on August 7, 1956, in Cali Colombia.
In early hours of day, when all people was sleeping, six trucks loaded with 42 tons of dynamite were parked on the zone between 1st and 8th avenues and 25th and 26th streets (San Nicolas neighborhood), near to the Pacific Railway Station.
At about 1:07 local time, a big explosion destroyed 41 blocks and left a crater with diameter of 50m and depth of 25m. The explosion wave razed buildings, houses, the Belmonte market square and about 4,000 people. Other 12,000 people were injured. The strength of the explosion was such that many tombs in the Central Graveyard were opened.
The explosion caused a 4.3 Ritcher earthquake and was heard in places more than 50km away from Cali, as Buga, Jamundi and Caloto.
To date, it is not clear what originate the explosion. The president of Colombia at time, Gustavo Rojas Pinilla, publicly charged that terrorists were to blame for the disaster, but no evidence was ever found that the explosion was deliberate. Other hypotheses include trucks overheating or a soldier accidentally firing his gun. The most accepted hypothesis states that a man was smoking near to a truck and caused the accident.
Below there is a map that shows the exact explosion center (labeled with a blue marker). Additionally, the destruction radius is indicated by the red circle.
Date created: 2020-09-23