The Silvertown Explosion is one of the worst disasters to have hit this area of London. Though not strictly in Canning Town, the explosion was so huge and so devastating that it remained an important event in the lives and memories of Canning Town people.

The explosion happened at the Brunner Mond Chemical factory in January 1917. Before the war, the factory had produced caustic soda, but it switched to the production of TNT during World War I. TNT is a highly explosive chemical used for making bombs, and the pressure to keep up production for the war effort may have meant that safety procedures were not properly observed. The result was a devastating explosion which killed 73 people, and injured several hundred others. Silvertown Fire Station was right next door to the factory, and many of the casualties were firemen and their families.

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Tom McAllister
The Old Dispensary
30 Romford Road, Stratford
London E15 4BZ
Tel: 020 8430 6393 Fax: 020 8430 6392

Last updated 17 February 2003