Ferry explosion in Playa del Carmen

[JamesBon92007]

Who is "they"? The ferries only carry diesel and that cannot detonate! Plus a source tells us that one device was recently found floating near Cozumel with 6 sticks of dynamite, a controller with remote detonation equipment, and the Mexican Marines exploded it in the Fonatur Marina. That is already in the Mexican press before this event. Much more to come I suppose.

Dave

"They" would be the Mexican authorities investigating the incident.

My link disappeared--that's what I get for not posting my source.

 

[T.C.]

DAMN.

I'd consider myself something of an expert in explosions. I've lost track of the number I've seen at close range.

This was not a gas explosion. There would be more fire, more flames.
This was not a diesel explosion- diesel just does not explode. It will burn, but that is an explosion that created a high pressure shock wave.

That is an explosion that was deliberately set and detonated.

My guess would be something larger than a hand grenade; 2-3 lbs of a high explosive like RDX.


This was an act of terrorism.

 

[MMM]

I think I'll stick to UltraMar or Mexico Waterjets.

You may have no other choice...

 

[northernone]

DAMN.

I'd consider myself something of an expert in explosions. I've lost track of the number I've seen at close range.

This was not a gas explosion. There would be more fire, more flames.
This was not a diesel explosion- diesel just does not explode. It will burn, but that is an explosion that created a high pressure shock wave.

That is an explosion that was deliberately set and detonated.

My guess would be something larger than a hand grenade; 2-3 lbs of a high explosive like RDX.


This was an act of terrorism.

Can't like this but having seen some, I have to agree... Horrifying. Official story doesn't line up.

...and remind me to keep a blast radius away from you!

 

[The Chairman]

I saw it on the 6 o'clock news tonight. They attributed it to a natural gas leak. I've had a few pops around cars and boats, and my initial thought was a hydrogen pop. Like from a battery or a number of batteries.

 

[deepsea21]

Mechanical malfunction? No. Diesel explosion? No. Steam Boiler exploding as one posted on another site? Good Lord! There are no steam boilers in these ferry ships! The initial flash from the recorded explosion lasts a fraction of a second and it emanates from the upper deck no where near an engine compartment while the pressure/blast wave sandwiched between the floor and ceiling of that level blows out each side of that upper deck.

I find it very odd that the first video of the explosion posted earlier appears to be taken by a crew member holding a smart phone that was focused on a closed circuit feed aboard the ferry docked behind the one that exploded - as if the individual taking the video was expecting to see something and as soon as the explosion takes place what does he do? He shifts the video to record the exact time on the screen to the right? Time was 13:01:43 or about 2 minutes after 1PM and proceeds to post it to social media.

What crew member on a ferry boat that goes back and forth all day for years decides to start taking video of a screen displaying a ferry docked behind his ferry and then instead of dropping the phone to see what is going on makes it a point to immediately record the time? And then later posts the video it for all to see? No crew ferry member sits around taking video of a ship's closed circuit feed - focused on the exact feed (among many screens displaying different feeds) - that would record the explosion. Were he so fascinated by the other ferry why was he hunkered down recording video on a screen instead of on deck taking a clean video of the other ferry. Was he afraid of being hit by shrapnel? Very, very strange. Mexican authorities should be questioning the individual who took that video.

 

[northernone]

I find it very odd that the first video of the explosion posted earlier appears to be taken by a crew member holding a smart phone that was focused on a closed circuit feed aboard the ferry docked behind the one that exploded - as if the individual taking the video was expecting to see something and as soon as the explosion takes place what does he do? He shifts the video to record the exact time on the screen to the right? Time was 13:01:43 or about 2 minutes after 1PM and proceeds to post it to social media.

What crew member on a ferry boat that goes back and forth all day for years decides to start taking video of a screen displaying a ferry docked behind his ferry and then instead of dropping the phone to see what is going on makes it a point to immediately record the time? And then later posts the video it for all to see? No crew ferry member sits around taking video of a ship's closed circuit feed - focused on the exact feed (among many screens displaying different feeds) - that would record the explosion. Were he so fascinated by the other ferry why was he hunkered down recording video on a screen instead of on deck taking a clean video of the other ferry. Was he afraid of being hit by shrapnel? Very, very strange. Mexican authorities should be questioning the individual who took that video.

I suspect it may be a replay, backing up the security footage to film it... Anything is possible though.

 

[JamesBon92007]

I find it very odd that the first video of the explosion posted earlier appears to be taken by a crew member holding a smart phone that was focused on a closed circuit feed aboard the ferry docked behind the one that exploded - as if the individual taking the video was expecting to see something and as soon as the explosion takes place what does he do? He shifts the video to record the exact time on the screen to the right? Time was 13:01:43 or about 2 minutes after 1PM and proceeds to post it to social media.

What crew member on a ferry boat that goes back and forth all day for years decides to start taking video of a screen displaying a ferry docked behind his ferry and then instead of dropping the phone to see what is going on makes it a point to immediately record the time? And then later posts the video it for all to see? No crew ferry member sits around taking video of a ship's closed circuit feed - focused on the exact feed (among many screens displaying different feeds) - that would record the explosion. Were he so fascinated by the other ferry why was he hunkered down recording video on a screen instead of on deck taking a clean video of the other ferry. Was he afraid of being hit by shrapnel? Very, very strange. Mexican authorities should be questioning the individual who took that video.

I agree that it is suspicious, and so was another video taken from the land side (probably where you wait to board the ferries) that seemed like they were just waiting for something to happen.

 

[gopbroek]

Who is "they"? The ferries only carry diesel and that cannot detonate! Plus a source tells us that one device was recently found floating near Cozumel with 6 sticks of dynamite, a controller with remote detonation equipment, and the Mexican Marines exploded it in the Fonatur Marina. That is already in the Mexican press before this event. Much more to come I suppose.

Dave

I was at the marina on Monday evening and the boat ramp was being cordoned off. A device had been found floating and someone had brought it in and left it on the boat ramp. It was a white piece of 4” PVC pipe about 3 – 4 foot long and had an antenna sticking out of it. On the end opposite the antenna there was tape and to myself it appeared to hold a ballast weight. To myself it did not resemble a bomb, wrong shape and no attempt at camouflage.
I got to BS’ing with the Marine NCO / JO and he seemed very professional. Basically since they did not know what it was they were exercising caution. I pointed out that the size and shape of the devise reminded me of US sonar buoys. To myself it looked like an instrumentation package for a marine experiment by either a high school or college student. It really appeared to be fashioned to float with the antenna sticking out so I am sticking with the instrumentation package for a marine science experiment or possibly a locator buoy for retrieving a load of square fish.
I had to run some gear into town so I did not get to see the detonation. I suspect a sympathetic charge was laid to see if there was an explosive involved (dual purpose for both safety and training) and folks took the sympathetic charge to say it was a bomb. If it was a bomb and with the large size, there should be some significant concrete damage half way up the south side of the ramp, near where the excursion groups gather and the marina dogs lay out.

 

[T.C.]

I saw it on the 6 o'clock news tonight. They attributed it to a natural gas leak. I've had a few pops around cars and boats, and my initial thought was a hydrogen pop. Like from a battery or a number of batteries.

Natural gas could cause a similar explosion, but how many ferries carry NG containers on the passenger deck?

The timing of that first security film is very suspect; but I doubt that the poster would expose a link to a potential terrorist cell by posting like that on SM. I agree that it looks like a replay. There is no flinch/shake when the explosion happens.