[3] It was blown up by two massive explosions, that occurred within the factory, killing 28 people and injuring approximately 70 others.

[2] In the mid-19th century, Guncotton began to be produced as a replacement for gun powder as propellant in firearms and for use as a low-order explosive in mining.

[4] Even before the explosion at Stowmarket some of the earlier factories that had produced it discontinued production soon after due to the volatility of the substance during manufacture.

[1] The first, and largest, explosion occurred at the magazines shortly after 2 pm[b] after the workers had returned from lunch.

[1] The impact created a chasm in the ground nearly 100 feet (30 m) in diameter,[1] and uprooted trees and the nearby railway line.

[12] The cause was probably several tons of gun cotton combusting due to the summer heat[e] and the poor standards of hygiene, as well as a blatant disregard for health and safety.

The process of producing guncotton includes the washing away of the acids used in an earlier part of its production and drying, and the product becomes 'safer' to handle at various stages of its manufacture;[13] the inquest indicated that the "adding of sulphuric acid to the gun cotton subsequent to its passing the tests required by Government" was a cause of the event.

[6] In the years that followed government enforced safety regulations were increased, partly as a consequence of the explosion at Stowmarket.