Big Explosion in Beirut.

[Marshwheeling]

I thought for sure somebody would have posted here by now. The videos of this thing are incredible. Observers maybe a mile away are knocked over by the shock wave.

The story so far is, a fire in a fireworks factory git into an adjoining building where large quantities of explosive chemicals were stored. Somebody said nitrates. Raw materials for fireworks. Fertilizer?

Lots of casualties.

 

[6518John]

CNN is now reporting it was "confiscated "high explosive materials,"

 

[Xfuzz]

That was no firecracker....
Amazing video.
I suspect a couple hundred dead.

 

[6518John]

That's what I envision a nuclear explosion would look like. That had to have been some high-grade explosives.

 

[Rustyt1953]

I just grabbed this screenshot from Twitter. There are lots of cellphone videos that are too graphic to post.

 

[DWalt]

It's apparent from a smoke column there must have been a fire in progress, followed by a very large high-order detonation. Some of the news stories indicate it may have been due to Ammonium Nitrate (fertilizer), but not much in the way of details have been reported.

 

[Sam McCord]

The Lebanese people love to farm and watch fireworks displays. Rarely does one hear of bombing in the neighborhood.

 

[billwill]

That rattled the good china. Unfortunately people killed and hurt.

 

[Absalom]

I am not very familiar with the chemistry of explosives. But the strangely red color of the center column of the explosion is drawing a lot of comments.

 

[ACORN]

A link to a video.
[ame]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wqKn_3iJOP4[/ame]
Sadly, I am sure there are heavy casualties. Many first responders.

 

[SC_Mike]

Prayers going up for those affected...

 

[s&wchad]

I feel bad for the innocent people killed or injured. There's massive destruction around the port and the country was already in a very bad way.

Fireworks my patootie and I don't believe for a minute these were high-explosives confiscated to keep the world safer...

The news report I saw earlier said the explosion occurred in a shipping warehouse. I don't put much credence in news reports, especially early ones, but I doubt this was set off intentionally. I suspect that there were other plans for this destruction and things went amiss.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if Hizballah and their supporters (Syria and Iran) played a part. I doubt we will ever know the truth.

 

[V1 Rotate]

Looks like the Israelis found another Hezbolah or Iranian munition storage facility.
Bill S

 

[yaktamer]

Hate to rain on all the conspiracy theories, but sometimes things really are pretty simple. First thing I thought of was this. Watch the whole thing.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPVpzjxRjPk[/ame]

 

[dockmurgw]

A bittersweet day for those who's lives were forever changed on 10/23/83

 

[ladder13]

A first responder nightmare.

 

[BigBoy99]

A large amount of high explosives was the cause. Ammonium nitrate fertilizer (The oxidizer) HAS to be mixed with a fuel (i.e. diesel oil) to become an explosive. If it is straight, unmixed fertilizer, it will burn but not detonate. The large amount of black smoke after the detonation is a good indication it was high explosives.

 

[bummer]

A bittersweet day for those who's lives were forever changed on 10/23/83

I was home on leave getting ready to go to Germany

 

[joe44va]

Such a beautiful city. Or was.

 

[pasound]

Many years ago it was the Paris of the East. Now a tragic target for terrorists. So sorry for the innocents. People have had a city there for probably 5,000 years.