That chemical explosion in Beirut

[malaise]

caused by nitrates that were stored for about six years. And they should not have been stored like this. Looks like an accident.

I heard that 60 people had died up to this time, for the first time in my life the number didn't register. When I think about the almost 160,000 dead from Covid in the US. sixty isn't a big number. It's awful for the families and the country as a whole. The chemicals are literally burning eyes and skin.
In a strange way this reminds me of that explosion in TExas years ago - same effin nitrates in the middle of people.


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[underpants]

1. I just read that it was nitrates

That was massive.

[mahina]

2. The cloud looked like it was a nuke to many people, reminding me that chump

Last edited Tue Aug 4, 2020, 05:54 PM - Edit history (1)

Completely took eyes off the ball re nuclear material in the wild.

Those poor souls. So many lost and injured, homes and lives gone. Jesus.

[malaise]

3. It was scary

This one killed 15

[Sympthsical]

5. Only 15 deaths there

The plant was fortunately away from most population areas (though it took out a nearby apartment building). All but two of the dead were firefighters/first responders who were dealing with the initial fire.

That video is haunting, though. That poor kid. I can only imagine the fear.

The scariest part? It was arson. And they've never figured out who did it.

[malaise]

6. Corrected

Yes I remember that the death toll was much less than first suggested.

I didn't know it was arson - thanks

[LastDemocratInSC]

13. The cloud that formed quickly in the Beirut explosion

Was water vapor in the atmosphere condensing out due to the air pressure change caused by the shock wave. And, you can see the same thing in a nuclear explosion, as you mentioned.

[leftieNanner]

4. My daughter's boyfriend (hopefully my SIL some day soon)

has family in Beirut. I need to check in with him and make sure they are all safe.

Thanks for the heads up malaise.

[malaise]

7. Other DUers posted about this earlier this afternoon

[ananda]

8. It was hairy!

My niece lives in Beirut. She was on the other side of
town at the time.

When she returned home, she had to drive through
glass on the streets, her door was blown open, and
her dog was missiing, but she found him.

What a lucky woman!

I can't wait till she returns to Austin next month.

[malaise]

10. Glad she's OK

We have neighbors with parents in Beirut. I met their mom when she visited them a few years ago.

[spanone]

9. CNN headline now says AT LEAST 73 killed....thousands hurt

[Chainfire]

11. Here is a link to a documentary of the 1947 Texas City explosion

Built up areas and ports are just not good places to store Ammonium Nitrate.

ttps://

&t=45s

[LeftInTX]

12. Reminds me more of this one:

I was not alive at the time, so I don't remember it. Both occurred at busy ports.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_City_disaster

The Texas City disaster was an industrial accident that occurred on April 16, 1947, in the Port of Texas City, Texas, at Galveston Bay. It was the deadliest industrial accident in U.S. history, and one of history's largest non-nuclear explosions. A mid-morning fire started on board the French-registered vessel SS Grandcamp (docked in the port), and detonated her cargo of about 2,200 tons (about 2,100 metric tons) of ammonium nitrate.[1] This started a chain reaction of fires and explosions in other ships and nearby oil-storage facilities, ultimately killing at least 581 people, including all but one member of the Texas City fire department.[2]