2020 Lebanese Crisis

[Sandhi Yudha]

Some observers think that there was more than just ammoniumnitraat in storage at the moment of explosion. We have to wait for the investigation and official reports for the answers of many questions.
One thing is sure, it was an enormous explosion which looks like a nuclear test explosion.

https://www.facebook.com/624228701115167/posts/1375181849353178

 

[Sandhi Yudha]

A newsreport with some more videos.

 

[Feanor]

Plenty of footage, much of it graphic, please view at your own discretion. The details remain hazy but if this was indeed an accident, it's one of the biggest. In the meantime

Взрыв в Бейруте. Последствия

В результате взрыва в порту Бейрута https://colonelcassad.livejournal.com/6071525.html был убит генсек ливанской право-христианской партии Катаиб Назар Наджарян. Эта партия представляет интересы части ливанских христиан и оппонирует Хезбалле, а также поддерживает сирийскую…

colonelcassad.livejournal.com

Взрыв в Бейруте

В Бейруте произошел масштабный взрыв. Что именно взорвалось, пока не ясно. Но можно предположить, что взорвалось хранилище каких-то боеприпасов. В припортовых районах очень сильные разрушения. Количество жертв пока неизвестно, но оно будет значительным. UPD: В городе серьезные разрушения в радиусе…

colonelcassad.livejournal.com

Эпицентр взрыва в Бейруте

Зернохранилище в порту Бейрута. Вид со стороны эпицентра взрыва https://colonelcassad.livejournal.com/6071776.html , воронка от которого заполнена водой. Хорошо видно рассыпавшееся зерно. По заявлению властей Ливана, все зерно в порту загрязнено и непригодно к использованию. Общее число…

colonelcassad.livejournal.com

 

[John Fedup]

The only comparable event I can think of is the Halifax explosion in 1917. The Beirut videos are pretty disturbing. Figuring out what happened is not going to be easy. First question, why was all this $hit stored in a highly populated urban area?

 

[StobieWan]

Multiple secondaries as well. Never have happened in the UK - all Ammonium Nitrate fertiliser has to be bonded with two stabilising agents to prevent it popping off - you can thank the IRA for that. I believe the US started mandating the same for similar reasons, although a decade or two later.

That's an *enormous* blast however.

 

[kato]

The only comparable event I can think of is the Halifax explosion in 1917.

There have been many comparable events, some of them in the same place multiple times - e.g. BASF Plant, Ludwigshafen, Germany flattening itself in 1921 and 1948 in explosions equivalent to multiple kilotons each. This includes multiple secondary explosions too. And casualty counts considerably exceeding those of Beirut.

 

[John Fedup]

There have been many comparable events, some of them in the same place multiple times - e.g. BASF Plant, Ludwigshafen, Germany flattening itself in 1921 and 1948 in explosions equivalent to multiple kilotons each. This includes multiple secondary explosions too. And casualty counts considerably exceeding those of Beirut.

So apparently tragedies like this are quickly forgotten and little is done to prevent this (although IRA terrorist actions resulted in UK safeguards as per StobieWan’s post). The Halifax explosion, to be fair, was a wartime accident in a congested harbour, nevertheless corrective actions were implemented as a result. Reports about harbour officials being detained, wild guess on my part, mega CYA effort by incompetent and likely corrupt pollies.

 

[kato]

So apparently tragedies like this are quickly forgotten

The last similar explosion was in Xianshui. Last year. Assumed to have been Benzoyl Peroxide in that case.

 

[At lakes]

Brief History Of The Bombay Explosion In World War II

Mumbai was shaken by a deadly explosion on April 14 1944 during World War II. Here's what happened.

theculturetrip.com

There was a similar explosion in Bombay during WW11, killed around 800 people when nearly 2000 tons of ammunition went up in a cargo ship tired up alongside.

 

[oldsig127]

There have been many comparable events, some of them in the same place multiple times - e.g. BASF Plant, Ludwigshafen, Germany flattening itself in 1921 and 1948 in explosions equivalent to multiple kilotons each. This includes multiple secondary explosions too. And casualty counts considerably exceeding those of Beirut.

There was a similar explosion in Toulouse(sp?) in around 2000 but only in the region of a few hundred tonne of nitrate. I was working for a mining company at the time and there was subsequently some tightening of storage safety by the provider at our on lease storages. I note that the same company currently has a much larger stock than that formerly in Beirut, at the Port of Newcastle

We added diesel and a few detonators to shift thousands of tonnes of rock. Very effective explosive

oldsig

 

[swerve]

Ammonium nitrate disaster - Wikipedia

Lots of 'em, including two with over 500 dead each.

 

[kato]

The Bangladeshi corvette BNS Bijoy (deployed with UNIFIL MTF448) was docked in the port within about 400m of ground zero at the time of the explosion, although shielded by the grain silo building. 16 out of 110 crew injured, including one critical.

British hydrographic survey ship HMS Enterprise is deploying from Cyprus to survey debris within the the port. German corvette FGS Ludwigshafen has been pulled from UNIFIL MTF448 and is sailing under national command from Cyprus to Beirut to assist.

France, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and Russia have each sent in about 50 civilian emergency workers, primarily SAR teams along with a couple dozen tons medical supplies. Smaller contingents, usually single teams of around a dozen men, have been or are being deployed by China, Tunisia, Cyprus, Greece, Turkey, Qatar and Iraq. The effort by EU member states is coordinated by the European Union. Jordan and Egypt are deploying military field hospitals in Beirut, Germany is readying one.

Macron will visit Beirut today as already planned for months.

 

[ngatimozart]

Macron was welcomed in Beirut by the local population like a rock star visiting them before any local government leader. He was surrounded by the locals, which must caused his security team to have kittens. The locals absolutely loved him. He promised them that French help and aid will not end up in corrupt hands After deadly blast, Beirut residents look to Macron for relief. He later had a meeting with the Lebanese Prime Minister, which I think might've been a tad frosty "'In meetings with top officials, Macron "did not mince words; he told them that they need to get their act together and that it can't go on like this," a source with knowledge of the meeting told Al Jazeera. "It was extremely frank'." There have been protests as well with teargas being used against them by security forces. As of 0815 GMT Friday 7th August more than 58,000 people have signed an online petition asking for Lebanon to placed under French control again Protests as Lebanon arrests 16 over Beirut blast: Live updates. The Lebanese government is already playing the blame game, Lebanese officials deflect blame as anger grows over Beirut blast, as it tries to cover its backside. However I don't think that it's population will let it get away with it this time. Unfortunately the big problems in the country are Hezbollah, Syria, and Iran. None of those will be wanting the Lebanese people to upset the status quo, let alone overthrow the current government.

 

[Ananda]

The Lebanese government is already playing the blame game, Lebanese officials deflect blame as anger grows over Beirut blast, as it tries to cover its backside

Oo, I think they will let the judges getting burned this time. The rolling coalition control most of the status quo power, thus the blame will be put to the judges.

As for Beirut people, considering the historical trend in Lebanon, what Beirut Grass Roots feels not necessarily what other regions grass roots feels. Many in Lebanon seems think Beirut is too westernized and liberals.

 

[John Fedup]

Oo, I think they will let the judges getting burned this time. The rolling coalition control most of the status quo power, thus the blame will be put to the judges.

As for Beirut people, considering the historical trend in Lebanon, what Beirut Grass Roots feels not necessarily what other regions grass roots feels. Many in Lebanon seems think Beirut is too westernized and liberals.

Iran and Syria along with their terrorist proxies will ensure the citizens of Beirut continue to suffer. I can think of one player that would be better than Macron and the French running things, but that player has no intention for returning.

 

[ASSAIL]

I saw one interview with a Lebanese commentator who blamed the entire fiasco on Hezbollah.
He said they control the Port, the port workforce and the govt was little more than their puppet.
There was no context, I couldn’t ascertain his motives if any and so like everything about Lebanon the report could have carried an agenda for one of the various power factions.

 

[StobieWan]

Ammonium nitrate disaster - Wikipedia

Lots of 'em, including two with over 500 dead each.

They're a bit of a meme in disasters-there was one in Texas as recently as 2013:

West Fertilizer Company explosion - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Reading more around the incident it looks like they had nearly 3000 tons stored locally. Wouldn't be beyond belief for that to have simply detonated due to some misstep. Looking into the government structure, I'm not expecting a wide reaching root and branch investigation resulting in swift and decisive action to prevent this happening again.

 

[kato]

They're a bit of a meme in disasters

If you want the real meme: The corvette Germany is sending to assist is coincidentally named after a city that blew itself up with 4000 tons of ammonium-nitrate in 1921.

 

[StobieWan]

If you want the real meme: The corvette Germany is sending to assist is coincidentally named after a city that blew itself up with 4000 tons of ammonium-nitrate in 1921.

Must..not...laugh...straight..face...required....

Sorry, it is a serious subject, but yeah, glad I wasn't drinking when I read that

 

[InterestedParty]

Why do some explosions result in a mushroom-like cloud? Is it just the amount of explosive or are there other factors involved