HAVANA — 1960 · Major Tragedy
The La Coubre Explosion
On the afternoon of 4 March 1960 the French freighter La Coubre, carrying some 76 tons of grenades and munitions loaded at Antwerp in Belgium, exploded while being unloaded in Havana harbour. About half an hour after the first blast at 3:10 pm, a second and more powerful explosion struck as rescue work was under way. Between 75 and 100 people were killed and more than 200 injured. At a funeral the next day Fidel Castro blamed the United States, which denied any involvement. The cause of the explosion was never conclusively established. At the 5 March memorial, photographer Alberto Korda took the picture of Che Guevara that became world-famous as 'Guerrillero Heroico'.
- Date
- 1960
- Place
- Havana, Cuba, Havana, CU
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Unsolved
- Coordinates
- 23.1310, -82.3510 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 4 March 1960, 3:10 pmLa Coubre exploded while unloading in the harbour.
- 4 March 1960A second, stronger blast struck during the rescue.
- 5 March 1960Castro blamed the US at the funeral; Korda took his famous Che photo.
- 7 March 1960The US State Department denied the accusation.
Sources
- Wikipedia — La Coubre explosion en.wikipedia.org ↗
- EcuRed — Explosión del vapor La Coubre ecured.cu ↗
- Wikipedia
- EcuRed
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.