Cali Explosion 1956

In the early hours of August 7, 1956, seven army trucks loaded with 1,053 boxes of dynamite sat parked in an old railway station in downtown Cali, Colombia. Somehow, the dynamite exploded, obliterating 41 city blocks and carving out a crater about 50 meters wide and 25 meters deep.

The blast demolished homes, businesses, and entire neighborhoods, and six districts, including San Nicolás, El Porvenir, El Hoyo, El Piloto, Fátima, and Jorge Isaacs, felt the worst of it. Official numbers put the death toll around 1,300, with 4,000+ wounded, though some estimates believe as many as 4,000 died and 12,000 were injured. The noise and shock from the explosion were heard in towns dozens of kilometers away.

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