Beirut Blast
Comments
-
Every window blown in within a 15 mile radius. Unfortunately I think the death toll is going to rise a lot more than the 100 reported now.
The fact that the blast has been recorded from so many sources probably makes it more real.0 -
Thats what 2750 tonnes of Ammonium Nitrate stored for seven years does when it ignites.
It was seized when the m/s Rhosus flying the Moldovian flag was forced into port after engine problems from what I gather it had no documentation for its cargo.0 -
Fertiliser. Has happened before, many times. E.g. Texas in 1947. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_City_disasteroxoman said:Certainly frightening. Even their sworn enemy have offered assistance. It's been suggested it was weed killer. Agree with coopster, many more will be found yet.
Lessons learned, life progresses... or not...
0 -
Looks like they offloaded it after two years into storage, and it sat there for 5 years, literally an accident waiting to happen. Everything about this is terrible.step83 said:Thats what 2750 tonnes of Ammonium Nitrate stored for seven years does when it ignites.
It was seized when the m/s Rhosus flying the Moldovian flag was forced into port after engine problems from what I gather it had no documentation for its cargo.0 -
Shame that it is so predictable.
I guess all that pesky red tape and H&S gone mad serves some sort of purpose after all then.0 -
Lots of 'popping and banging' and 'fireworks' seen and heard on video before the big bang went off. Anyone care to speculate on what that might have been..?0
-
Yes, plenty of people.imposter2.0 said:Lots of 'popping and banging' and 'fireworks' seen and heard on video before the big bang went off. Anyone care to speculate on what that might have been..?
0 -
Everything from tragic accident involving embargoed cargo, to mossad sabotage of bomb making factory.0
-
Thanks for your contribution...kingstongraham said:
Yes, plenty of people.imposter2.0 said:Lots of 'popping and banging' and 'fireworks' seen and heard on video before the big bang went off. Anyone care to speculate on what that might have been..?
0 -
Am I right in thinking that the huge white cloud produced is caused by air being compressed so suddenly that it liquifies? Amazing.Head Hands Heart Lungs Legs0
-
From the commentary and photos of the creator, the huge grain store next the explosion and the sea provided a barrier/cushion which meant less lives were lost and less damage done to the city.0
-
I'd imagine a big 'chunk' of that white cloud is a result of the sea being chucked up by the blast wave and/or vaporized by the heat and speed of the big bang.pottssteve said:Am I right in thinking that the huge white cloud produced is caused by air being compressed so suddenly that it liquifies? Amazing.
Quite possibly just the result of a genuine accidental fire in the vicinity, but there's sure to be plenty of anti-Israeli / anti-West chatter as to the source.0 -
Apparently there was a large shipment of fireworks stored next to the ammonium nitrate, which was probably not the best idea and could explain the popping and banging reported before the big explosion:
https://nextbigfuture.com/2020/08/beirut-explosion-was-2750-tons-of-ammonium-nitrate.html
Estimates have put the explosion at around 2 kilotons of TNT equivalent. To put into perpsective, the A-bomb dropped on Hiroshima was around 15 kt."I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]0 -
“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0
-
Nope. The white cloud is just water vapour condensing into a cloud due to the low pressure region behind the shockwave.pottssteve said:Am I right in thinking that the huge white cloud produced is caused by air being compressed so suddenly that it liquifies? Amazing.
1 -
(posted to illustrate scale of the tragedy rather than as a comment on online accuracy...)We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
Just saw the footage of the explosion for the first time. Awesome, in the true sense of the word, and terrifying.
When you see Hollywood explosions the good guys manage to outrun the shockwave before getting gently knocked off their feet by the very edges of it. The reality in this case was that people recording the fire from a long distance were knocked off their feet virtually instantaneously. If the death toll doesn't end up much higher I can only assume it is due to the immediate area being sparsely populated.
It's going to be a further long term disaster with the port being wiped out when the economy was already tanking and with the vast majority of the country's food being brought in through the port.0 -
The blast and deaths are bad enough but lebanons main port is destroyed. All the goods, medicines and food there is gone. The docks facilities are gone. Ships cant unload. New goods, food and drugs cant get into the country easily. Lebonon does not have much cross boarder trade over it lands boarders. Its exports go through the port. Without being able to import and export the people of lebonon are even more screwed then they were before. That will kill more than 100 people.
Lebanon is going to need alot of help. I have not heard britain and europe getting together and sending a team of military engineers and the equipment required to get the port open. Without that port you cant even get aid in. That port is the key to everything there. Its in our interest to help. Lebanon is failing state. We know what happened when Libya fell apart.
Its worse than shit.www.thecycleclinic.co.uk0 -
Who the hell stores fireworks next to Ammonium Nitrate in the capital city? What could possibly go wrong in case of a fire? xD
I am wondering if other ports in the world also have similar geniuses at work? Perhaps governments should inspect what ports are storing and potentially introduce new legislations to prevent geniuses from doing stuff like this.0 -
Emergency aid though. They need more than that. They need a port. Lebanon has 1month supply of grain and no way of bringing in more until they can dock ships again.
Also a cruise ship was knocked on its side. The death toll is more than 100 unless that is the one bit of luck here.www.thecycleclinic.co.uk0 -
... what a great example of the relevance of Frost diagrams in understanding chemical stability
left the forum March 20230 -
Well that will be why port officials are under house arrest but yes, it sounds like a everyone knew it was there but didn't bother checking storage conditions were appropriate.zest28 said:Who the hell stores fireworks next to Ammonium Nitrate in the capital city? What could possibly go wrong in case of a fire? xD
I am wondering if other ports in the world also have similar geniuses at work? Perhaps governments should inspect what ports are storing and potentially introduce new legislations to prevent geniuses from doing stuff like this.0 -
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8597649/Orica-plant-Newcastle-chemical-linked-Beirut-explosion-leaving-135-dead.html
Perhaps some overtime available for Aussie hauliers in the near future.0 -
Can you explain what that means please, Ugo? My chemistry education stopped at HNC a long while ago, and I don't recall having heard of Frost.ugo.santalucia said:... what a great example of the relevance of Frost diagrams in understanding chemical stability
The older I get, the better I was.0 -
Uk's offer which includesthecycleclinic said:The blast and deaths are bad enough but lebanons main port is destroyed. All the goods, medicines and food there is gone. The docks facilities are gone. Ships cant unload. New goods, food and drugs cant get into the country easily. Lebonon does not have much cross boarder trade over it lands boarders. Its exports go through the port. Without being able to import and export the people of lebonon are even more screwed then they were before. That will kill more than 100 people.
Lebanon is going to need alot of help. I have not heard britain and europe getting together and sending a team of military engineers and the equipment required to get the port open. Without that port you cant even get aid in. That port is the key to everything there. Its in our interest to help. Lebanon is failing state. We know what happened when Libya fell apart.
Its worse than censored .The UK has also offered enhanced support to the Lebanese Armed Forces, who are central to the Government of Lebanon’s response, including tailored medical help, strategic air transport assistance, and engineering and communications support.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-to-send-emergency-relief-to-lebanon
Finally, Tripoli has a port too
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_of_Tripoli_(Lebanon)
And whilst I have been to Tripoli, I can't tell you anything about it.
If Lebanon ever returns to a peaceful times, a trip there is thoroughly recommended.0 -
Mine stopped at GCSE and I struggled at that!capt_slog said:
Can you explain what that means please, Ugo? My chemistry education stopped at HNC a long while ago, and I don't recall having heard of Frost.ugo.santalucia said:... what a great example of the relevance of Frost diagrams in understanding chemical stability
An explanation would be great and really appreciated, @ugo.santalucia
Ben
Bikes: Donhou DSS4 Custom | Condor Italia RC | Gios Megalite | Dolan Preffisio | Giant Bowery '76
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ben_h_ppcc/
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/143173475@N05/0 -
OK, thanks. Makes sense. Still amazing, though!wongataa said:
Nope. The white cloud is just water vapour condensing into a cloud due to the low pressure region behind the shockwave.pottssteve said:Am I right in thinking that the huge white cloud produced is caused by air being compressed so suddenly that it liquifies? Amazing.
Head Hands Heart Lungs Legs0 -
That had me confused - I was thinking I'm sure Tripoli is in Libya, I hadn't realised there was another!TheBigBean said:
Uk's offer which includesthecycleclinic said:The blast and deaths are bad enough but lebanons main port is destroyed. All the goods, medicines and food there is gone. The docks facilities are gone. Ships cant unload. New goods, food and drugs cant get into the country easily. Lebonon does not have much cross boarder trade over it lands boarders. Its exports go through the port. Without being able to import and export the people of lebonon are even more screwed then they were before. That will kill more than 100 people.
Lebanon is going to need alot of help. I have not heard britain and europe getting together and sending a team of military engineers and the equipment required to get the port open. Without that port you cant even get aid in. That port is the key to everything there. Its in our interest to help. Lebanon is failing state. We know what happened when Libya fell apart.
Its worse than censored .The UK has also offered enhanced support to the Lebanese Armed Forces, who are central to the Government of Lebanon’s response, including tailored medical help, strategic air transport assistance, and engineering and communications support.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-to-send-emergency-relief-to-lebanon
Finally, Tripoli has a port too
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_of_Tripoli_(Lebanon)
And whilst I have been to Tripoli, I can't tell you anything about it.
If Lebanon ever returns to a peaceful times, a trip there is thoroughly recommended.
Lebanon, and Beirut in particular, is a strange place. Most of us will think of it as the war torn country of the 80s but it was the original Mediterranean party resort in the first half of the 20th century and was very cosmopolitan and liberal. It looked an incredible place to go if you had money before WWII.
It seemed to be returning to those ways, very different to most of the Arab world; different religions manage to co-exist, gay clubs are fairly commonplace and I believe cosmetic surgery is very popular out there but the country's economy was being hit and there were major issues with the running of the country even before this catastrophe.0 -
Events like this is why it is legitimate to blur the budget line between Defence and Aid as only the military will have the resources to deploy at short notice0
