Explosion at Redstone Arsenal

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[null and void]

Just in. Small explosion, some injuries

[null and void]

Pray.

[Nashvegas]

Where was the explosion? On the test ranges or in one of the buildings? I have family and Friends there.

[al baby]

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — One person was killed and one injured in

[Frantzie]

My guess it is a white male tea party member who is mad about healthcare.

[Nashvegas]

from al.com

HUNTSVILLE, AL — HEMSI officials have confirmed at least two injuries in a chemical explosion on Redstone Arsenal this morning.

One person has been taken by helicopter to a Birmingham hospital. Another was flown to a local hospital. Both victims had “significant burn injuries,” said HEMSI CEO Jon Howell.

Arsenal spokeswoman Kim Henry said the explosion occurred at 8:45 a.m. at Building 7352, an AMRDEC (Aviation Missile Research Development and Engineering Center) facility in Test Area 10. Henry said she was only aware of two injuries.

Despite rumors, no deaths have been reported at this time, Henry said. “Everything else is hearsay,” she said.

Although the cause is unclear at this time, it appears the explosion was an accident.

Redstone officials have called the media to Gate 3 on Redstone Road for a debriefing.

Check out our breaking news blog throughout the day for updates.

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this post indicated three injuries. The third person taken to the hospital by ambulance was having a medical problem unrelated to the explosion.

[Domandred]

This article says Test Area 10

http://www.fox43.com/news/nationworld/whnt-explosion-redstone-arsenal-050410,0,7592122.story

[Freddd]

We understand the chemical ammonium nitrate was involved in the explosion -—

Umm am I wrong or is that

FERTILIZER?

[Ramius]

Well, yes... Ammonium nitrate is used in fertilizers, and in explosives.

[Vigilantcitizen]

You o.k.?

[Domandred]

Yea I saw that too. Not sure what to make of it. It was a test area though so could have been an experiment of some form gone awry.

[mjp]

My guess it is a white male tea party member who is mad about healthcare.

and of European descent and heterosexual

[Svartalfiar]

yep. Its in both. You can actually ‘strain’ it out of the fertilizer to make your own, um, exploding targets. ;)

[TXnMA]

Ammonium Nitrate: the base explosive material for the McVeigh-Nichols truck bomb in OKC. Also the explosive in theSS Grandcamp -- when a whole shipload of it detonated in Texas City in 1947.

Not a "high" or "High VOD" explosive... It works by" pushing and heaving" things around -- not by shattering and pulverizing them like high VOD (TNT, etc.) explosives do.

[FReepaholic]

http://blog.al.com/breaking/2010/05/redstone_arsenal_explosion_one.html

HUNTSVILLE, AL -- One of two contract workers injured in an explosion at an Alabama Army base has died.

Officials at Redstone Arsenal say the two workers were injured while removing a propellant from rockets at the site, where the Army develops weapons and conducts missile training.

Deputy Public Affairs Officer Kimberly Henry says the two were taken to the burn unit at UAB Hospital in Birmingham. Henry said privacy laws would not allow her to release the victims' names or specifics about their conditions, except to say "their injuries include burns."

UAB Hospital spokesman Bob Shepard says one man died of his injuries Wednesday night. He says the other worker is in critical condition.

Henry says a third person escaped injury from the blast, which occurred at 8:45 a.m. CDT and left part of the building in wreckage.

[Bryan24]

I work at Marshall Space Flight Center, which is colocated on Redstone Arsenal.

Some of the guys in my group heard the blast.

Latest info.

Workers were working on refining a process to recycle Ammonium Perchlorate (not sure about that spelling). They were recycling solid roclet fuel from a MRLS Army rocket launching system.

Some info not made into the news reports: One worker was burned on 100% of his body. I heard he “coded” on the medflight to Birmingham. The other was burned on 50% + of his body.

Very secure area, no terrorism or nothing here. Dangerous process went wrong.

[null and void]

Thanks for the update.

[MediaMole]

Burns like that are horrible. I hope the survivor will get the same level of care our burned servicemen receive. It’s a life changing injury that will take years of treatment.

[null and void]

It’s difficult to get burned on 100% of your body. Usually (as Richard Prior observed) part of your body puts out enough liquid to self protect, and it also takes quite a fire to burn through shoes/boots.

It was probably just as well that he passed so quickly, a merciful end as it were.

Damn. Just damn.

[FReepaholic]

...Dangerous process went wrong...

Indeed.

I used to work on the missile range at Test Areas 1 and 6 back in the 80's. Still have friends there. We had several close calls but fortunately nobody ever got hurt.