The 1970 Bunge Explosion
The Bunge Grain Elevator in Destrehan (Modoc) was rocked by two explosions on a quiet Sunday evening in September of 1970. The grain industry, which had been seen as a redeeming force in the parish’s economy in the early 1960s following the closing of the American Oil Company in Destrehan, suffered a setback as a result of this accident.
The families of the six employees who were hospitalized as well as the whole community were deeply affected by this event. Many homes and a nearby school were extensively damaged. The fire which erupted burned for almost 24 hours and destroyed the elevator. The safety concerns of the neighborhood were brought to a sobering reality. The elevator was eventually rebuilt and put back into commerce.
This text is copyright © material by Marilyn Richoux, Joan Becnel and Suzanne Friloux, from St. Charles Parish, Louisiana: A Pictorial History, 2010.
