Birgu Gunpowder Magazine Explosion

Date: July 18, 1806 • Location: Senglea, Malta

An explosion at a gunpowder magazine in Birgu, Malta, killed an estimated 200 people.

On 18 July 1806, approximately 40,000 lb (18,000 kg) of gunpowder stored in a magazine (polverista) in Birgu, Malta, mistakenly detonated. The explosion killed an estimated 200 people, including British and Maltese military personnel, and Maltese civilians from Birgu. Parts of the city's fortifications, some naval stores, and many houses were destroyed. The accident was found to be the result of negligence while transferring shells from the magazine.