1944 Bombay explosion
Smoke billowing out of the harbour | |
| Date | 14 April 1944 |
|---|---|
| Time | 16:15 IST (10:45 UTC) |
| Location | Victoria Dock, Bombay, British India |
| Coordinates | 18°57′10″N 72°50′42″E / 18.95278°N 72.84500°E |
| Cause | Ship fire |
| Casualties | |
| 800+ dead | |
| 3,000 injured | |
The Bombay explosion (or Bombay docks explosion) occurred on 14 April 1944, in the Victoria Dock of Bombay, British India (now Mumbai, India) when the British freighter SS Fort Stikine caught fire and was destroyed in two giant blasts, scattering debris, sinking surrounding ships and setting fire to the area, killing around 800 to 1,300 people. Some 80,000 people were made homeless and 71 firemen lost their lives in the aftermath. The ship was carrying a mixed cargo of cotton bales, timber, oil, gold, and ammunition including around 1,400 tons of explosives with an additional 240 tons of torpedoes and weapons.