| While the Titanic is definitely the most famous maritime | | | | covered the harbor. It is impossible to tell what the |
| disaster it is actually not the largest one in the sad | | | | reason of the explosion was, most probably it was |
| history of maritime disasters. Canada also holds a sad | | | | criminal negligence be the crew members of one of |
| record in this history. The infamous Halifax explosion | | | | the ships. Like many other disasters this one has a |
| that devastated the city of Halifax, is currently the | | | | very good ground for investigation and even trial, but |
| largest non-nuclear man-made accidental explosion in | | | | the devastating power of the explosion was so huge |
| the history of mankind with the highest death doll of | | | | that there is literally no one left to sue. |
| about 2,000 people killed and estimated over 9,000 | | | | As for the legal side of such navigation problems as |
| people were injured. While many people say that | | | | the Halifax explosion, it would be regulated by the |
| maritime disasters are one of the most dangerous, the | | | | Canadian criminal code, because it occurred in the |
| Halifax Explosion is the one that shows how | | | | Canadian waters. As for the Maritime Laws in general |
| dangerous they can really be. The tragedy occurred | | | | there are two types of law – Admiralty Law |
| on December 6, 1917 at the time of the First World | | | | (Maritime Law) and Law of the Sea. The Admiralty |
| War. The SS Mont-Blanc, a cargo ship that was | | | | Law is a distinct body of law which governs maritime |
| chartered by the government to carry munitions to | | | | questions and offenses. Because the ships that roam |
| Europe collided with unloaded Norwegian ship Imo, | | | | the oceans and seas can belong to various companies |
| chartered by the Commission for Relief in Belgium to | | | | and countries this law is a body of both domestic law |
| carry relief supplies. While Imo was unloaded at the | | | | governing maritime activities, and private international |
| moment, the SS Mont-Blanc was fully loaded with | | | | law governing the relationships between private entities |
| wartime explosives. The collision itself occurred at 8.40, | | | | which operate vessels on the oceans. The main |
| at 8.50 Mont-Blanc caught fire, drifted toward the | | | | matters that it deals with are: marine commerce, |
| peers and exploded fifteen minutes later. The | | | | marine navigation, shipping, sailors, the transportation of |
| explosion was equivalent to roughly 3 kilotons of TNT, | | | | passengers and goods by sea and also a number of |
| which is actually one fifth of the atomic bomb dropped | | | | land based commercial activities that are maritime in |
| on Hiroshima, which had estimated power of 15 | | | | character. The Law of the Sea is a body of public |
| kilotons. The fireball rose over 1.2 miles into the air and | | | | international law and has another scope of problems. It |
| the explosion obliterated all the buildings and structures | | | | is dealing with navigational rights, mineral rights, and |
| within 2 square kilometers including buildings in the | | | | jurisdiction over coastal waters and international law |
| communities of Richmond and Dartmouth. The | | | | governing relationships between nations. |
| explosion also caused an 18 meter high tsunami that | | | | |