Morehead City almost Explodes!

Holy crap, someone operating a forklift at the Port must’ve had a few too many doobiesnacks for breakfast today.

The following is an excerpt from: WRAL.com

MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. — Nine drums filled with an explosive compound were punctured by a forklift early Tuesday as they were being unloaded at the state port in Morehead City, prompting officials to close the port.
Morehead City Mayor Jerry Jones Jr. said the 50-kilogram drums contained pentaerythritol tetranitrate. Also known as PETN, the material is used in plastic explosives and as a drug to treat heart conditions. …

… the PETN was in a liquid slurry form, which limited the size of the spill.
Colorless PETN crystals are used in detonating cords for industrial explosions, and the compound also was a component of the explosive that Richard Reid, the convicted “shoe bomber,” used in 2001 to try to blow up an airliner. A Nigerian man charged with trying to blow up a Detroit-bound flight on Christmas told authorities he had PETN in his underwear.
“We know it’s a dangerous substance. However, it is contained (at the port),” Jones said.

So if we did explode, I would have been sound asleep when it happened, score!

More links:
http://www.newsobserver.com/356/story/280467.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/12/morehead-city-nc-port-shu_n_420470.html
http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2010/jan/12/nc-police-warning-morehead-city-explosion-risk/
http://www.digtriad.com/news/local_state/article.aspx?storyid=135693

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