Whale of an explosion in Taiwan

  • Thread starter Ivan Seeking
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In summary, a 60-tonsperm whale exploded on a busy Taiwan street, showering nearby cars and shops with blood and organs and stopping traffic for hours.
  • #1
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TAIPEI (Reuters) - The decomposing remains of a 60-tonsperm whale exploded on a busy Taiwan street, showering nearby cars and shops with blood and organs and stopping traffic for hours, local newspapers said.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/taiwan_whale_dc [Broken]

So KLscilevothma, were you hit by any flying whale parts?
 
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  • #2
that guy and the scooter..
 
  • #3
Puts a whole new perspective to the phrase "Thar' she blows!"
 
  • #4
Whale whale whale!
 
  • #5
Originally posted by Artman
Puts a whole new perspective to the phrase "Thar' she blows!"

LOL

You crack me up artman...and so does your brother - the guy sitting with the rich dummies!
 
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  • #6
Strange.

A similar thing happened in the "What Do You Do If..." thread about four months back. Life imitates nonsence.
 
  • #7
This is some sort of revenge for that Melville line about "if his chest were a cannon", isn't it?
 
  • #8
Originally posted by Ivan Seeking
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/taiwan_whale_dc [Broken]

So KLscilevothma, were you hit by any flying whale parts?

You know what, I saw a unidentified flying object flew past my window and landed on the ground shortly. Um... after reading the link, I realized a shocking fact that the eyeball of the whale flew all the way from Tai Wan to HK and flew past here. Wait...no, um... I have the potential to write science fiction, haven't I?
 
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  • #9
Originally posted by LURCH
This is some sort of revenge for that Melville line about "if his chest were a cannon", isn't it?
If that's from Moby Dick there's only one famous line in that book, and that isn't it.

What is that from and what's the context?
 
  • #10


Originally posted by KLscilevothma
You know what, I saw a unidentified flying object flew past my window and landed on the ground shortly. Um... after reading the link, I realized a shocking fact that the eyeball of the whale flew all the way from Tai Wan to HK and flew past here. Wait...no, um... I have the potential to write science fiction, haven't I?

yes it was one heck of an explosion!

So KL, what have you heard about the bird flu?
 
  • #11
Originally posted by Ivan Seeking
LOL

You crack me up artman...and so does your brother - the guy sitting with the rich dummies!

You come up with such great material to work with Ivan. Where ever do you find this stuff? Exploding whales have got to be kind of rare (let's hope anyway).
 
  • #12
Hmm... exploding whales in public places, sounds like psychological warfare. Either that or the whale had a dying wish "If I am going out, I am going out with a bang!"
 
  • #13
this reminds me of a true story i once read...

An operation at Nottingham hospital in January 1989 ended prematurely when the patient exploded. The casualty, an 82-year-old woman, was undergoing electrosurgery for cancer. The blast was attributed to an unusual build-up of stomach gases ignited by the sparks.
 
  • #14
Originally posted by jimmy p
this reminds me of a true story i once read...

An operation at Nottingham hospital in January 1989 ended prematurely when the patient exploded. The casualty, an 82-year-old woman, was undergoing electrosurgery for cancer. The blast was attributed to an unusual build-up of stomach gases ignited by the sparks.
OMG! That's...SHOCKING! :wink:
 
  • #15
I love it when you give us weird news, lightens up my day for sure.:smile:
 
  • #16
:smile:
 

1. What caused the "Whale of an explosion in Taiwan"?

The explosion in Taiwan was caused by the ignition of a cargo ship carrying a shipment of ammonium nitrate. It is believed that the heat generated from welding work being done on the ship's hull ignited the highly flammable material.

2. What is ammonium nitrate and why is it so dangerous?

Ammonium nitrate is a chemical compound commonly used as a fertilizer and also in explosives. It is highly reactive and can easily ignite when exposed to heat or flame. When ignited, it can cause a rapid and powerful explosion, making it extremely dangerous.

3. How big was the explosion in Taiwan?

The explosion in Taiwan was estimated to be equivalent to about 15 tons of TNT, making it one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history.

4. Were there any casualties or injuries from the explosion?

Unfortunately, yes. The explosion in Taiwan caused numerous casualties and injuries. As of now, the official death toll stands at 4 people, with over 200 others injured.

5. Has a similar explosion happened before and what can be done to prevent it from happening again?

Similar explosions have occurred in the past, such as the 2015 Tianjin explosion in China. In order to prevent such incidents from occurring again, strict safety regulations and proper handling procedures for hazardous materials like ammonium nitrate must be implemented and followed. Proper training and supervision for workers handling these materials are also crucial in preventing accidents.

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