Big Explosion in Beirut.
- Thread starter Marshwheeling
- Start date
News report says 2700 tons of ammonium nitrate. 
DWalt
Member
If AN is in paper bags, the paper will act as fuel. That's what happened in the 1947 Texas City blast. The two ships involved were loaded with bagged AN. Not only that, but parrafin was mixed into the AN to prevent caking from moisture. Evidently, that was enough fuel to promote detonation. But there is a history of AN detonation incidents even if no known fuel source was present.
metrotps
Member
"That's what happened in the 1947 Texas City blast."
Exactly what I was thinking...Beirut 2700 + tons of AN = BIG BOOM
Texas City disaster - Wikipedia
(3,100 + tons of AN between two ships) = REALLY BIG BOOM
Exactly what I was thinking...Beirut 2700 + tons of AN = BIG BOOM
Texas City disaster - Wikipedia
(3,100 + tons of AN between two ships) = REALLY BIG BOOM
JJEH
Member
News report says 2700 tons of ammonium nitrate.
And so does Wikipedia so it must be true...
Ammonium nitrate disasters - Wikipedia
Ziggy2525
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Same here. First thing that popped into my mind when I saw the video was tactical nuke/dirty bomb. Not saying it was, but that's what came to mind.
I always store a few hundred pounds of 40-12-12 next to my diesel tank, which is by the outdoor grille we set up in the basement.
When I was a kid stationed in DaNang, RVN there were very large ammo barges anchored out in the harbor. The U.S. kept armed guards stationed 24/7, I had done guard duty on them a couple of times as I was stationed in the harbor. We were watching a movie around six miles away, it was on an outdoor screen with an amphitheater of sorts with seating and covered walkways surrounding it. The place had been a Navy hospital, when they pulled out we moved in. Some of us were on the roof of the sidewalk smoking dope, while the juicers were in the seats. From behind us there was enough of an explosion to light up the movie screen, most turned to see what the hell it was, somebody had presence of mine to yell "HIT IT!" in unison we all flattened out and BOOOOMMMM the blast wave hit us, bouncing us on the roof. I looked up and that picture from Beirut is the closest thing I have ever seen to the fireball and mushroom cloud outside of a atomic bomb picture. The next day we learned that the sappers had indeed finally got through and blew one up. Our 150' L.C.U.'s were beached where they had been docked, it was a mess. Charlie was nothing if not patient and persistent. I remember at least a half a dozen sappers got caught swimming up to the barges, they would shoot them up and a couple of time we went out to pick up the dead. Someone at the top did not like the idea of new guys or weeds being armed with fully auto M-16's which truly do a number on a human body when a full magazine is unloaded, so they took the M-16's away and issued riot shotguns...I remember feeling more vulnerable and virtually helpless if someone was on the other side of the barge.
LVSteve
Member
The degree of blast damage to buildings and cars not even on line of sight is instructive to say the least. There is a video on youtube from a boat somewhere not far away, and the speed of the shockwave is something else.
In one of the videos you can see what look like firecrackers going off in the smoke, then the big bang erupts from a little way left. How that one building is still standing I don't know. It certainly looks crooked in the aftermath shots. You have to wonder if having such a solid structure so close prevented even greater destruction.
In one of the videos you can see what look like firecrackers going off in the smoke, then the big bang erupts from a little way left. How that one building is still standing I don't know. It certainly looks crooked in the aftermath shots. You have to wonder if having such a solid structure so close prevented even greater destruction.
Crazy stuff.
I heard 70 dead and 4,000 injured?
I heard 70 dead and 4,000 injured?
Not saying it is, but sure looks like an ANFO explosion. ANFO yields several gases including nitrogen dioxide, which creates a reddish orange cloud.
News report says 2700 tons of ammonium nitrate.
Add that much nitrate to the atmosphere, it mixes with moisture, and you get an acid cloud. That's the reddish brown stuff. Same thing when you use nitrogen tetroxide as an oxidizer in a rocket. It will etch glass and eggshell auto paint.
Tubbsy
Member
If it was a fireworks factory, there was probably a good bit of phosphorus on hand.... nasty stuff.
The paper bag had nothing to do with it. The boat shipment of ammonium nitrate prills had been treated with a new process to prevent moisture from attacking the AN prills. Each prill had been spray coated with liquid paraffin wax turning each AN prill into a potential bomb. After this explosion, the process of coating AN prills with wax ceased.
I still just wish I could get a couple of tons of AN to fertilize my pasture. No chance of that any time soon.
REM 3200
US Veteran
Isn't "fireworks factory" another name for "bomb making factory" in the Middle East?
Justin T
Member
there is no way i'm going to believe they were making firecrackers and sparklers at this place
wheelgun28
Member
You beat me to it....
I was going to say, See kids this is what happens when you play with sparklers.
