Breaking: Massive explosion in Beirut, Lebanon

[daddyusmaximus]

I'm betting that the damage will end up being so massive (and possibly the loss of life as well) that this could be like a 9/11 (at least in scope) for them. Now weather it was an "accident" or an "incident" remains to be seen.

 

[T.Lex]

No. Absolutely not. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the idea that it's only the mainstream media that fearmongers...and then the Bill Gates talk starts.

 

[HoughMade]

I'm betting that the damage will end up being so massive (and possibly the loss of life as well) that this could be like a 9/11 (at least in scope) for them. Now weather it was an "accident" or an "incident" remains to be seen.

I am reminded of Halifax explosion of 1917, though I think that one was much bigger.

 

[Wolfhound]

Alright, who had “Beirut blows up” for August?

Go ahead and put me down for “Mole People Invasion” for September.

 

[T.Lex]

I am reminded of Halifax explosion of 1917, though I think that one was much bigger.

Port Chicago California during WWII comes to mind, too.

 

[rob63]

This is from the Business Insider article that someone posted up thread:

"Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim, the director-general of Lebanese intelligence, dismissed the fireworks explanation as "ridiculous," attributing the blast to confiscated high-explosive materials stored at the local port. Local media identified the material as sodium nitrate"

 

[HoughMade]

Port Chicago California during WWII comes to mind, too.

Yes, that's the one. I remember a podcast about it.

 

[BugI02]

An unusual rust colored cloud after the explosion. It doesn't look like a ship was at the center of the explosion but now simple would it be to bring a ship full of explosives or a nuke into a US port. I know there are safe guards in place but still....

The orange cloud is likely nitrogen dioxide in high concentration. It's consistent with an ANFO explosion, or an explosion of any other nitrogen rich medium - which is pretty much all explosives

 

[T.Lex]

The UN mission had a boat in the area.

"One of the UNIFIL ships of the Maritime Task Force docked in the port was damaged, leaving some UNIFIL naval peacekeepers injured - some of them seriously," the mission said in a statement.

 

[Fullmag]

Wow! Was that the pressure wave that knocked him down? At the end you can hear the boom. I’m going to guess that the building just the left has some structural problems now. No expert but that was big, massive seems to correct. I just keep watching everything close is lifted off the ground!

 

[Phase2]

I’m going to guess that the building just the left has some structural problems now.

Like not existing anymore?

 

[Trigger Time]

If this was fireworks, I'm mickey mouse.
That wasn't fireworks. That was a military weapon

 

[Cameramonkey]

If this was fireworks, I'm mickey mouse.
That wasn't fireworks. That was a military weapon

Fire started in the fireworks storage. ANFO was stored in the adjacent building.

 

[T.Lex]

I wonder if the guards were allowed to have loaded rifles.

 

[johny5]

Fire started in the fireworks storage. ANFO was stored in the adjacent building.

Ah, the classic Rube Goldberg explanation...

 

[Jaybird1980]

Meth Lab?

But seriously, Wow!
Reminds me of the Texas fertilizer plant that exploded.

 

[KittySlayer]

If this was fireworks, I'm mickey mouse.
That wasn't fireworks. That was a military weapon

Maybe it was a sewing machine accident in their Garment District (where they make [strike]suicide[/strike] vests).

 

[T.Lex]

"I don't always hoard explosives, but when I do, I like to keep them all very close to each other."

 

[Clay Pigeon]

I am reminded of Halifax explosion of 1917, though I think that one was much bigger.

Or the 1947 Texas Port explosion,
The disaster drew the first class action lawsuit against the United States government, on behalf of 8,485 victims, under the 1946 Federal Tort Claims.

 

[KokomoDave]

Saying 60 killed and 2,000 injured.