1922 Bitola Explosion -- Over 1000 Dead

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  • vicsinad
    Senior Member
    • May 2011
    • 2337

    1922 Bitola Explosion -- Over 1000 Dead

    Anybody have more information on this? There seems to be scant information on probably what was likely one of Macedonia's largest man-made disaster. Several hundred dead, tens of thousands homeless, half the city destroyed, etc. On the scale of destruction, it's almost comparable to the 1963 Skopje earthquake. There were some rumors that Macedonian rebels caused it, but it seems like it was an accident. I've run across this many times in research, but haven't been able to find much more about it.




    BELGRADE, April 20.—Four hun
    dred car loads of ammunition and
    high explosives stored near the railroad
    station at Monastir, southern
    Servia, exploded Tuesday at noon,
    killing several hundred persons,
    wounding thousands and virtually des
    troying the heart of the city. Onehalf
    of the city’s population was rendered
    homeless.

    The victims were mostly children
    and soldiers. A church in which the
    children were worshipping Collapsed
    under the detonation, while the barracks
    in which 1,800 soldiers were
    having lunch was destroyed.
    Immediately after the explosion,
    fire broke out in various parts of the
    city. The panic-stricken inhabitants
    fled to the nearby woods and mountains,
    from which they watched their
    homes burn. All telegraphic communication
    from Monastir with the
    outside world was cut off.

    Relief Units Go to Scene
    The first news of the disaster
    reached Belgrade, from refugees who
    managed to reach Prilep, 30 miles to
    the northwest of Monastir. Several
    Serbian relief units were immediately
    organized and started for Monastir.
    Six American women doctors of
    the American Woman’s hospital at
    Veles left there for Monastir as soon
    as news of the explosion was received.
    They were headed by Dr. Esther
    Lovejoy of Richmond, Va. They expected
    to negotiate the fifty miles
    of had roads over the mountains to
    Monastir and reach the stricken city
    by this evening.
  • Amphipolis
    Banned
    • Aug 2014
    • 1328

    #2
    MONASTIR EXPLOSION. HUGE DEATH TOLL. 30,000 PEOPLE HOMELESS.

    Further details have been received in London regarding the recent explosion of war material stowed near the rail-way station at Monastir (Jugoslavia).

    There was a huge death-roll. Hundreds of children were buried in a church where a shell exploded, and it is believed that 1800 soldiers are buried in the ruins of the barracks, where the troops were at lunch at the time of the explosion. Fires broke out at several points in the town causing a panic among the inhabitants who flcd, as the entire town was in danger.

    Authentic figures of the casualties cannot be ascertained, but a message from Belgrade, states that 30,000 people are homeless and have taken refuge in the woods

    Comment

    • vicsinad
      Senior Member
      • May 2011
      • 2337

      #3
      Yeah, there are quite a few news articles on the topic. I'm wondering if there is anything more detailed (a source in a book, for an example). I saw on a FB thread in Macedonian that someone had asked a similar question, and the only noteworthy response was that someone had seen a documentary about Bitola that mentioned the explosion.

      Comment

      • DraganOfStip
        Senior Member
        • Aug 2011
        • 1253

        #4
        Wow, I live in Macedonia and really haven't heard about this at all...
        ”A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves and traitors are not victims... but accomplices”
        ― George Orwell

        Comment

        • Amphipolis
          Banned
          • Aug 2014
          • 1328

          #5

          Comment

          • vicsinad
            Senior Member
            • May 2011
            • 2337

            #6
            Originally posted by DraganOfStip View Post
            Wow, I live in Macedonia and really haven't heard about this at all...
            I was hoping you would know haha

            For all we know, these news reports may be inaccurate, especially the way news traveled in the early 20th century. Perhaps the number of deaths and homeless was speculation, or exaggerated, or maybe it was accurate.

            Comment

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