Devastating. Its going to take years and years to rebuild and cost billions and billions. I wouldn't be surprised if we see an international coalition form, or the UN agrees to aid or something. Watching some of the drone footage, there might be dozens and dozens of buildings needing to be brought down in order to rebuild. I think this is the biggest explosion civilian population has felt since Hiroshima.
I'd like to think they survived and hopefully they did. Maybe nothing worse than some cuts from broken glass and temporary hearing loss. Imad should have come inside when the woman was imploring him to what was interesting was that it wasn't just a fire then the big bang. There was an intermediate phase when the combustion was escalating from the fire, and building to the final explosion
Never been but I will say that some of the images and video I've come across has been pretty jarring. Hopefully their recovery is speedy and they have so reform so something like this never happens again.
https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/n...eirut-how-did-happen-before-after/3298960001/ This article gives a good overview of the situation.
Yeah, I caught that too. Made me think it was a gas leak of some sort for a moment. Looked like a millions roman candles going off at once for a moment before it finally went. I'm going to check it out again in more depth tonight. slow mo, etc. And yes. Women clearly have more common sense than us men.
I saw another video of the bride last night in a short interview. So, she survived. (If I can find it again I will post it.) Here is a bit longer video of the aftermath.
Yeah, I remember that vid. Looked like alot more fire or flammable items, but not near the shockwave spread. Crazy nonetheless
Yeah, this explosion was on the order of a small tactical nuclear bomb. The only saving grace was that it happened out on the docks and not inside the city itself. Inside the city and this would have been one of the largest tragedies in modern human history. As it is, it's still horrible.
what hasn't been mentioned is where Covid is in Beirut and Lebanon. Last I heard, they were a real hot-spot of infection. This situation sure isn't going to help things
Been there briefly in the 80s. It was mostly rubble at the time after their civil war - but my memory is that some areas were very pretty. Thing that really stands out is the food - as Lebanese food is excellent. FWIW - There used to be a very good Lebanese restaurant in Portland near 80'th ave. on Stark street. I believe the name is Ya Hala - but it's been at least 5 years since I visited.
The grain elevator stopped more damage. If you watch the drone shots, notice the sections to the left of the grain elevators(looking from the ocean) and its flattened, but behind and to the right, they are not and the damage doesn't look to go near as far back. 6' Thick concrete on average for those grain elevators. I think it saved alot actually.
You see an explosion in an muslim country and you immediately think it's an terrorist. Have you already considered that there could be other reasons for this explosion?
The Texas City explosion (1947) (which also involved ammonium nitrate) was estimated at 2.9 kilotons. Has anyone heard a specific figure on this one? That material is nasty. IIRC it was the basis of the bomb used in the OKC bombing.
The bride in the famous video, it turns out, is a doctor. She tended to the wounded still in her wedding dress. Beautiful inside and out.
People need to remember an old saying: don't attribute to malice what is adequately explained by human stupidity. The similarity between this event and what happened in the port of Texas City in 1947 speaks for itself.
I can't find a (TNT) kiloton equivalent, but apparently, the Texas City explosion involved 2300 tons of the ammonium nitrate and the Lebanon explosion was 2750 tons of it. According to this article.