Things blowing up

[Supernick]

What is it that kills you when you stand next something which blows up. Is it shrapnel? Pressure waves? Intense heat? or a combination of all of the above

[Yeah Bee]

I would say a combination, not all bombs has those effects thou

[arthurstace]

It's called "blast", a wave of increased atmospheric pressure followed immediately by a wave of decreased pressure.

[Hippy]

The blast tears you apart and the shrapnel slices up the pieces. Further away and a big bang and its the blast that gets you or large objects moving fast hitting you. Closer and smaller bang like land mine, and the explosive fire, blast and fast moving bits of shattered casing just shred your limb(s). Close but even smaller bang like home made pipe or nut & bolt bomb, fires bits of shattered metal into soft body bits like eyes, destroying them for ever.

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[Peter Pedant]

During the second world war it was mainly blast. Then I think it was crush injury. Very few got actually blown up.

But that of course was fiftyyears ago!

[Gandy]

My grandad says that he survived a grenade detonating right next to him.  As he was lying on the floor at the time the blast went diagonally up over him.  Unsure about validity on that one.