SS Sansinena

SS Sansinena

Bow section SS Sansinena lies partially submerged at Berth 46 after it exploded while refueling
History
Owner	Barracuda Tankers
Port of registry	Monrovia
Launched	1958
Identification	IMO 5311650
Fate	Exploded 1976
General characteristics
Type	Oil tanker
Tonnage	60,000 DWT
Length	810 ft (250 m)
Beam	104 ft (32 m)
Draft	42 ft (13 m)
Capacity	460,000 bbl (73,000 m3)

SS Sansinena was a Liberian oil tanker that exploded in Los Angeles harbor on Friday, 17 December 1976 at 7:33pm. She was docked at berth 46 at Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, California.

The vessel was a steamship built in 1958. At its final port of call, Sansinena had discharged its cargo of crude oil and was taking on ballast and fuel when a massive explosion split the ship in half and obliterated multiple port buildings. The blast shattered windows for miles around and triggered a fire that spread across the dock and around the tanker. The Los Angeles Fire Department soon arrived on the scene to contain the blaze and rescue survivors. A United States Coast Guard investigation later concluded that the incident was caused by flammable vapor buildup on the deck of the ship. The ignition source was never identified.

The official casualty count is:

• 6 dead, all members of the Italian crew
• 3 missing and presumed dead (two crew and one dock security guard)
• 46 injured, 9 requiring hospitalization

The explosion of Sansinena and technical details of the incident were featured as the first segment of the Engineering Disasters of the 1970s' episode of History Channel's Modern Marvels television series.

See also

• Ralph J. Scott (fireboat)

Further reading

• Eppink, John J (March 1977). "M/T Sansinena Explosion". The Navigator. p. 47.

External links

• Jerricks, Terelle (ed.). "The Blast Zone Remembering the S.S. Sansinena 29 Years Later". Random Lengths News. Archived from the original on 2012-06-23.
• "Marine Casualty Report SS Sansinena (Liberian) Explosion and Fire in Los Angeles Harbor on 17 December 1976 with Loss of Life" (pdf). National Chemical Safety Program. United States Coast Guard. 25 November 1977. USCG 16732/71895.
• "SS Sansinena (Liberian); Explosion and Fire in Los Angeles Harbor, California on 17 December 1976 with Loss of Life". Defense Technical Information Center (Abstract). ADA049805.
• "Sansinena Los Angeles Harbor, California 1976-Dec-17". Incident News. Archived from the original on 2012-03-14.
• "Sansinena". California Fireman. Los Angeles Fire Department Historical Society. February 1977. Archived from the original on 2016-04-17.
• "Berth 46 - S.S. Sansinena Explosion Site (Los Angeles, California)". Wikimapia.