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1992 explosion in Guadalajara



An investigation into the disaster found that there were two precipitating causes:

  • New water pipes, made of zinc-coated copper, were built too close to an existing steel gasoline pipeline. The underground humidity caused these metals to create an electrolytic reaction, which eventually caused the metal to corrode, creating a hole in the pipelines that caused gasoline to leak into the ground and into the main sewer pipe.
  • The sewer pipe was recently rebuilt into a U-shape so that the city could expand their underground railway system. Usually sewers are built in a slope so that gravity helps move waste along. In order to get the U-shape to work, an inverted siphon was placed so that fluids could be pushed against gravity. The design was flawed, however. While liquids were successfully pumped through, gases were not, and gasoline fumes would build up.

A small spark was all that was needed to ignite the dangerous gases. It is possible that city officials investigating the buildup of gasoline fumes actually set it off. Metal colliding with metal can cause sparks, such as when a manhole cover is dropped back into place.

In the aftermath, city officials and corporations pointed fingers at each other. Some people initially thought a cooking oil manufacturing company was leaking hexane, a flammable liquid similar to gasoline, into the sewers, but this was later found to be erroneous. Numerous arrests were made in an attempt to indict those responsible for the blasts. Ultimately, however, these people were released without charges . [4]

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See also

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References

  1. ^ http://www.drj.com/drworld/content/w2_028.htm James Dugal: “Guadalajara Gas Explosion Disaster” in Disaster Recovery Journal.
  2. ^ http://www-tech.mit.edu/V112/N22/mexico.22w.html Peter Eisner: “Nine officials charged in sewer-line explosions case.” The Tech. April 28, 1992.
  3. ^ http://www.semp.us/publications/biot_reader.php?BiotID=356 SEMP Biot #356 "The Guadalajara 1992 Sewer Gas Explosion Disaster" May 03, 2006.
  4. ^ http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/cases/17-03.html Legal documents pertaining to this case



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