Massive blast in Beirut, Lebanon

  • Thread starter Thread starter davenn
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the massive explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, speculated to be linked to a large storage of ammonium nitrate and possibly other explosive materials. Participants explore the causes, effects, and historical comparisons to similar disasters, as well as the implications of storing hazardous materials in populated areas.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Historical

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that the explosion was related to a large quantity of ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse, estimated at 2,750 tons.
  • Others propose that the explosion may have originated from explosive materials taken from a ship and improperly stored at the port.
  • A participant recalls the Texas City disaster of 1947, drawing parallels to the Beirut explosion and questioning the safety of storing such materials in populated areas.
  • There is speculation about the nature of the initial fire that led to the explosion, with some attributing it to welding activities.
  • Some participants discuss the potential impact of metal impurities on the sensitivity of ammonium nitrate to detonation.
  • Comparisons are made to the Halifax explosion, noting the historical context and scale of similar incidents.
  • Participants express concern over the high population density in Beirut and its implications for casualties, with differing views on whether it contributed to fewer or more victims.
  • There are mentions of seismic detection of the explosion, with varying reports on its magnitude and reach.
  • Some participants reflect on the tendency to store hazardous materials together despite known risks, citing past incidents as examples.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express multiple competing views regarding the causes and implications of the explosion, with no consensus reached on the specifics of the events leading up to it or the factors influencing the scale of the disaster.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved questions regarding the exact sequence of events that led to the explosion, including the initial fire's cause and the conditions of the ammonium nitrate storage. The discussion also highlights the complexities of risk management in hazardous material storage.

  • #31
DaveC426913 said:
Based on the delay, This couple was less than 2,000 feet from the blast.


Great comment: She is going to use this against him forever...
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: DaveC426913
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #32
The Governor says that 300,000 have lost their homes. What a tragedy!
 
  • Sad
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: 256bits, Astronuc and berkeman
  • #33
Astronuc said:
've seen one undated picture that shows 1000 kg bags stored haphazardly, two-bags high and apparently side-by-side. It was a disaster waiting to happen.
good picture of the storage.
I didn't know if the storage was in bulk bins, the bulk bags, so I went with the 50 pound consumer bags.
That stuff must have been caked up and hard as a rock after all this time.
 
  • #34
I had heard the BBC radio reports of this in the morning, and seen a few photos later in the day, but the posted video was the first I had seen of video coverage.

Good God! That was absolutely apocalyptic! I am wondering if/how much some of those videographers were injured... Not even sure what intelligent comment I can offer other than abject shock. I could make a rambling rant about the plight of merchant seafarers working in sub-human conditions, and how this can allow situations like this to develop... but it seems kinda academic under the current circumstances.

Holy crap! um... I'm kind of at a loss.

diogenesNY
 
  • #35
I am astonished, and relieved, that the death toll is only a hundred and change (even if the collateral damage is huge). That explosion could have killed thousands.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: berkeman
  • #37
to add insult to injury, another fire at the port a month after the blast.

Quote
Large fire erupts in Beirut port area, a month after massive blast | CBC News

Michel Najjar, public works minister in the outgoing government, which resigned in the wake of the blast, told Lebanon's MTV the fire had been brought under control, saying initial indications suggested the blaze was sparked by repair work at the port.
...
Carmen Geha, an activist and associate professor at the American University of Beirut, said the fire was further proof of mismanagement by a ruling elite, who have dragged the nation into crisis after years of corruption and poor governance.
"It's a gross crime, gross negligence and gross arrogance," she said. "You can't trust them to manage anything."
UNQUOTE
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/large-fire-erupts-in-beirut-port-1.5718447
 

Similar threads

I do not understand oxidizers and what they do
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
3K
High School MIRV vs very high-yield bomb effectiveness
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
3K
Writing: Input Wanted Black holes as weapons - easy way to calculate the evaporation blast
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
3K
Massive intenet outage in Western US
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
Chemical inhibitions of radioactive elements
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
High School Can We See This Massive Coronal Hole on the Sun?
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
Are you concerned about toxic chemicals in plastic food packaging?
  • · Replies 52 ·
2
Replies
52
Views
9K
Writing: Input Wanted Does a Nuclear Blast Create a Vacuum Effect Toward the Epicenter?
  • · Replies 21 ·
Replies
21
Views
4K
Blast Waves in a Room: Impact on Standing Behind Large Machine
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
Scifi Starship Energy Harnessed Seems Massive
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
3K