2020 Beirut explosions
Aug 5, 2020 12:28:10 GMT -5
Post by Radrook Admin on Aug 5, 2020 12:28:10 GMT -5
2020 Beirut explosions
2020 Beirut explosions
Date 4 August 2020
Time 18:08:18 EEST (15:08:18 UTC) (second explosion)
Venue Port of Beirut
Location Beirut, Lebanon
Coordinates 33.901°N 35.519°ECoordinates: 33.901°N 35.519°E
Type Ammonium nitrate disaster
Deaths 135+
Non-fatal injuries 5,000+
Missing 80+
Property damage $3–5+ billion
Displaced 300,000+
On the evening of 4 August 2020, at 18:08 EEST, multiple explosions occurred in the city of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon.[ The blasts occurred at the Port of Beirut and left more than 135 people dead, 80 more missing and more than 5,000 people injured. Beirut Governor Marwan Abboud estimated that up to 300,000 people were left homeless by the explosions.
The main explosion was linked to approximately 2,750 tonnes (3,030 short tons) of ammonium nitrate that had been confiscated by the government from an abandoned ship and stored in the port without proper safety measures for the previous six years. Estimates of equivalent effects for the explosion are approximately 300 tons of TNT.
Contents
1 Background
1.1 MV Rhosus
2 Explosions
3 Cause
4 Casualties
5 Damage
6 Arrests
7 Relief operations
8 Reactions
8.1 Domestic
8.2 International
Background
The economy of Lebanon was in a state of crisis before the explosions, with the government having defaulted on debt, the Lebanese pound plunging and a poverty rate that had risen to over 50%. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic in Lebanon had brought many hospitals in the country to a state of crisis, with many reporting shortages of medical supplies, as they were close to being overrun with COVID patients, and many hospitals were unable to pay staff due to the financial crisis.
The Port of Beirut serves as the main maritime entry point into Lebanon and a vital piece of infrastructure to import scarce goods. Owned by the Lebanese government, the port included four basins, 16 quays and 12 warehouses. It accommodated a grain silo that served as a strategic reserve of wheat for the country. The Beirut Naval Base is a part of the port.
MV Rhosus
On 23 September 2013, the Russian-owned Moldovan-flagged cargo ship MV Rhosus set sail from Batumi, Georgia, to Beira, Mozambique, carrying 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate. During the trip, it was forced to port in Beirut with engine problems. After inspection by Port State Control, the Rhosus was found unseaworthy, and it was forbidden to set sail. Eight Ukrainians and one Russian were aboard, and with the help of a Ukrainian consul, five Ukrainians were repatriated, leaving four crew members to take care of the ship.]
The owner of the Rhosus went bankrupt, and after the charterers lost interest in the cargo, the owner abandoned the ship. The Rhosus then quickly ran out of provisions, while the crew were unable to disembark due to immigration restrictions. Creditors also obtained three arrest warrants against the ship. Lawyers argued for the crew's repatriation on compassionate grounds, due to the danger posed by the cargo still aboard the ship, and an Urgent Matters judge in Beirut allowed them to return home after having been stuck aboard the ship for about a year. The dangerous cargo was then brought ashore in 2014 and placed in a building, Hangar 12, at the port, by order of a court, remaining there for the next six years.
Various customs officials had sent letters to judges requesting a resolution to the issue of the confiscated cargo, proposing that the ammonium nitrate either be exported, given to the Army, or sold to the private Lebanese Explosives Company. Letters had been sent on 27 June 2014, 5 December 2014, 6 May 2015, 20 May 2016, 13 October 2016, and 27 October 2017. One of the letters sent in 2016 noted that judges had not replied to previous requests, and "pleaded":
In view of the serious danger of keeping these goods in the hangar in unsuitable climatic conditions, we reaffirm our request to please request the marine agency to re-export these goods immediately to preserve the safety of the port and those working in it, or to look into agreeing to sell this amount
Explosions
Shortly after 18:00 local time (UTC+03:00), firefighters were dispatched to extinguish a warehouse fire at the Port of Beirut. A first, smaller, explosion sent a cloud of smoke above the fires and created flashes of light said to resemble fireworks.
The second explosion was much more substantial and occurred at about 18:08 local time. It rocked central Beirut and sent a red-orange cloud into the air. The second blast was felt in northern Israel and in Cyprus, 240 kilometres (150 miles) away. The United States Geological Survey reported the blast measured as a 3.3 local magnitude earthquake, while the Jordan Seismological Observatory reported that it was equivalent to a 4.5 local magnitude earthquake.
Ammonium nitrate has a TNT equivalence of 42%, which would suggest the explosion to be about 1 kiloton, but generally in explosions not all of the material detonates. Estimates for the equivalence of the explosion are approximately 300 tons of TNT.
Cause
The cause of the explosions was not immediately determined, although state media initially reported them taking place at a fireworks warehouse, while others placed them at an oil storage or chemical storage facility.
There were various warehouses in the port that stored explosives and chemicals including nitrates, common components of fertilizers and explosives. The Director General of Public Security stated the explosion was caused by the ammonium nitrate that was confiscated from the Rhosus. A security source stated that the initial fire was caused during welding work on a hole in a warehouse.
Casualties
File:Beirut Wakes Up to Scenes of Devastation (Source) - ap footage removed.webm
'Beirut Wakes Up to Scenes of Devastation' - video news report from VOA News (portions removed due to copyright)
Following the explosions, at least 135 people were confirmed dead and more than 5,000 were injured.
Nazar Najarian, the secretary-general of the Kataeb Party, died after suffering severe head injuries during the blast,[50] and Kamal Hayek, chairman of the state-owned electricity company, was in critical condition. The Kazakhstani consul was wounded in his office.
Damage
Aftermath of the explosion
The explosion overturned cars and stripped steel-framed buildings of their cladding. Within the port area, the explosion destroyed a section of shoreline. Witnesses said that homes as far as 10 kilometres (6 miles) away were damaged by the blast, and up to 300,000 people were left homeless by the explosions. According to the Lebanese government, the city's second-largest grain elevator was destroyed, exacerbating food shortages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and a severe financial crisis. About 15,000 tonnes of grain were destroyed, leaving the country with less than a month's worth of grain in reserve.
The damage extended over half of Beirut, with the likely cost above $3 billion; 90% of hotels in the city were damaged and three hospitals completely destroyed, while two more suffered damage. Dozens of injured people brought to nearby hospitals could not be admitted because of the damage to the hospitals. Saint George Hospital, located less than 1 kilometre (5⁄8 mile) from the explosion, was forced to treat patients in the street, due to severe damage to the medical facility. Several child cancer patients were injured by flying glass, and a number of staff killed. Within hours, it discharged all its patients, some to other hospitals, and closed. According to the hospital's director of intensive care, Dr. Joseph Haddad, the hospital was irreparably damaged.
Embassies in and around Beirut reported varying degrees of damage to their buildings. The embassies of Argentina, Australia, Finland, and Cyprus, which were located in close proximity to the blast, sustained heavy damage.The South Korean embassy, located 7.3 kilometres (4 1⁄2 miles) from the blast site, reported minor damage to two windows within the embassy building, with the Kazakh, Russian, Romanian, and Turkish embassies also reporting minor damage.
The cruise ship Orient Queen, owned by Abou Merhi Cruises and berthed nearby, suffered extensive damage. Two members of the crew were killed, and several on board were injured. The ship capsized overnight. The Bangladesh Navy ship BNS Bijoy, which participated in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, was also damaged.
Arrests
Relief operations
The Lebanese Red Cross said that every available ambulance from North Lebanon, Bekaa, and South Lebanon was being dispatched to Beirut to help patients. According to the agency, a total of 75 ambulances and 375 medics were activated in response to the explosions. Lebanese President Michel Aoun said that the government would make up to 100 billion lira (USD$66 million) in aid available to support recovery operations. The ride-sharing app Careem offered free rides to and from hospitals and blood donation centers to anyone willing to donate blood.
Lebanese Health Minister Hamad Hassan requested international aid to Lebanon; several countries responded to that request.
Reactions
Domestic
Hassan Diab, the Prime Minister of Lebanon, announced that 5 August 2020, the day after the explosions, would be a national day of mourning. President Aoun stated that the government would provide support to displaced people, and the Ministry of Health would meet the expense of treatment for the wounded. Marwan Abboud, the governor of Beirut, stated that he arrived at the scene to search for firefighters who were on the site attempting to control the fire that was raging prior to the second explosion. He broke down in tears on television, calling the event "a national catastrophe".On the day of the explosion,
Hezbollah offered "deepest condolences over the national tragedy" and stated that the crisis required "a national stand by all Lebanese people". The day after, Mohammad Raad, who heads Hezbollah in the Lebanese Parliament, also called for "positive cooperation" in order to ascertain the reasons for the disaster and to ensure justice.
International
Representatives of multiple countries, and the UN,offered condolences. In addition to those countries which provided aid, others have offered to do so. Notably, Israel offered aid via United Nations channels, in what Al Jazeera English described as an "unusual move" given that Israel and Lebanon have no diplomatic ties and are technically at war. Both Israel and senior Hezbollah officials ruled out Israeli involvement in the explosion, a claim spread via social media.
After offering condolences and aid, United States President Donald Trump suggested the explosions were the result of a bomb from a deliberate attack. Multiple United States Department of Defense officials said that there were no indications that this was the case.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Beirut_explosions
Beirut blast: Lebanon in mourning after massive explosion - Top stories this morning - BBC