Massive blast at Russian military base.

[NutLoose]

That's one serious smoke cloud forming over the site

BBC News - Explosion at Russian military test site (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-19892972)

Hope casualties are slight..

[air pig]

Lets hope there is nothing 'nasty' involved.

[BOAC]

Well, no-one appears to be in radhaz suiting so fingers crossed. Was this really 'old' ammo or part of the shipment to Syria?

[Courtney Mil]

The place is littered with old mil hardware. I doubt it was stuff destined for anywhere.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

BOAC - could well have been both!

[Uncle Cumulus]

No-one has any idea what was there, although some will know what wasn't. Things get sold or lost or are negligently stored, and this is how the guys with the keys cope with the eventual audits. Similar events happen on average twice a year and get pinned on either some erk who was standing around smoking (and lived) or the management, which funnily enough always survives. My bet's on the erk this time.

[VX275]

this is how the guys with the keys cope with the eventual audits.

Wasn't that the reason the MOD store at Donington burnt down many years ago - too many 'empty' cardboard boxes.

[500N]

I am sure I read somewhere that it was old ammo stacked ready
to be moved to be destroyed.

I think it was when I glanced at the DM online so the story
might still be there,

Either way, it was a whopper of an explosion.

.

[Melchett01]

Either way, it was a whopper of an explosion.

Reports suggest 4 kilotons worth of munitions, bombs and Uragan missiles detonated in 3 separate blasts whilst munitions were being unloaded from a train. A separate controlled explosion of other munitions occurred later in the day.

[Courtney Mil]

The site had, as I understand, already been under the microscope for a number of previous incidents. I'm sure no one would arrange an 'incident' as a convenient way of disposing of unwanted munitions. Not in Russia.

[Al R]

Cyprus had its own moment a couple of years back, didn't it. Apparantly, an admiral was having a crafty faaag.

VX275 - I remember that 'FOFAD' became a stock (ahem) phrase from suppliers for months ('f#ck off, fire at Donington'). Dress code for parades? Shabby chic.

[salad-dodger]

Will never forget the day COD Donnington went up*. Sat doing one of my O Levels not too far away. The sky went dark and when we finished and went out, there was debris from the fire everywhere, turned out to be riddled with asbestos from the roof.

* the first time

S-D

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

I once lost my aircrew watch, and conscientiously went along to stores to report same. The Sergeant took pity, and told me it was going on his list of stuff that went down on the Atlantic Conveyor. As far as I can figure, that ship went down because it was 5x overloaded, not some argie missile.

[stilton]

My money's on Daniel Craig..

[TorqueOfTheDevil]

My money's on Daniel Craig


Working with Special Agent Majesty, perhaps?

[tonker]

I think this is it..

LiveLeak.com - Ground level view of 40000 tons of shells exploding by accident

[ShyTorque]

I say, that went off with a bit of a pop, didn't it? :eek:

[Halton Brat]

At about 1.38 timeline in that vid, a Hard Hat is clearly visible, unworn. This is a flagrant breach of Health & Safety practice. Jolly lucky no injuries. I fully intend to dash off a billet-doux to Mr Putin on this important topic.

HB

[ShyTorque]

Maybe the hard hat was all that remained of a previous occupier! :eek:

[Fortyodd2]

"Let's see what happens when I push this" you said.
"Who's gonna notice" you said.
"It's all old stuff" you said.
"no-one will find out" you said.

Wait 'til Vladimir finds out - actually, after that bang, Vladimir's coffee cup was probably rattling anyway.............:E

[Wander00]

What was that he said when it went "bang"?