The Halifax Explosion a century later: Lessons for our time

Abstract

A brief historical account of the Halifax Explosion, one of North America's greatest mass urban trauma casualty events of the 20th century. This disaster, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, was the result of the cataclysmic explosion of a fully loaded World War I munitions ship on the densely waterfront of that city, resulting in nearly 2000 fatalities and 9000 injured. It remains a case study in response to disasters which overwhelm local medical capabilities.

Keywords: Dr. Ernest Codman; Dr. William Ladd; Halifax; History of Canada; Mass casualty; Medical history; World War I.