Arzamas Train Disaster

Date: June 4, 1988 • Location: Vyyezdnoye, Russian Federation

Three cars on a train carrying hexogen to Kazakhstan explode in Arzamas, Gorky Oblast, USSR, killing 91 and injuring about 1,500.

RDX (Research Department Explosive or Royal Demolition Explosive), or hexogen, also known by other names, is an organic compound with the formula (CH2N2O2)3. It is white, odorless, tasteless, and widely used as an explosive. Chemically, it is classified as a nitroamine alongside HMX. It was used widely in World War II and remains common in military applications. It is lower performing and more toxic than modern replacements like TKX-50.