Large explosion in Beirut - hundreds reported injured

[Region of Dwipantara]

Lebanese sources report that the welding of a door caused sparks which ignited 2,700 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, which caused explosion at Beirut Port earlier today. Meanwhile, Beirut port's general manager said that the facility had housed highly-explosive material, blamed for the powerful blast that rocked Beirut, six years ago based on a court order. The customs department and state security had asked authorities for the material to be exported or removed, but that "nothing happened".

[-Astoria-]

Poor Lrbanon. I fedl for them. As if thefe wasn't enough shit happening in that country. What else could go wrong this year? I shudder to think

Some say, "tempting fate".

[The New California Republic]

Poor Lrbanon. I fedl for them.

Yes, I think we all fedl for Lrbanon right now.

[Nobel Hobos 2]

That's a fair point. But if the smaller explosion set off the bigger one ... (a) what set off the smaller explosion? and (b) why was there any noticeable delay between the first and second explosion?

Fireworks for the first explosion is kind of plausible. A rocket from the burning pile of fireworks flew into the stacked bags of Ammonium Nitrate, there being no walls in the way, and the pile which somehow got soaked in a oil, then detonated.

Or it could be Israel. Picking their moment to dispossess Lebanon of bomb-making material. Time will tell ... or as with my previous claim that Israel has nuclear weapons, time will not tell all that well at all. Israel is pretty slick.

Nobody denies they've got nuclear weapons anymore. Though conspiracy theorists like to pretend that.

Regardless, it seems most likely it was a couple of stupid decisions that caused an accident when a fire started. If the stuff's been there since 2014 it could've happened on any day.


No reason to think it's a terrorist attack barring more information. if it were, I suspect the Lebanese authorities would've said already.

Hmm. Mossad aren't exactly obvious, nor are the Lebanese authorities very eager to find casus belli with Israel. If it's what I think it was ... we won't know until the deathbed confession of Netanyahu or his Minister of defence.

[Region of Dwipantara]

Nobody denies they've got nuclear weapons anymore. Though conspiracy theorists like to pretend that.

Regardless, it seems most likely it was a couple of stupid decisions that caused an accident when a fire started. If the stuff's been there since 2014 it could've happened on any day.


No reason to think it's a terrorist attack barring more information. if it were, I suspect the Lebanese authorities would've said already.

Hmm. Mossad aren't exactly obvious, nor are the Lebanese authorities very eager to find casus belli with Israel. If it's what I think it was ... we won't know until the deathbed confession of Netanyahu or his Minister of defence.

What reason would Israel have, though? From what I know, Mossad's prime priority usually is to eliminate members of "dangerous groups" directly, such as during Operation Wrath of God. Israeli air strikes, as outlined by its doctrines, are also aimed at targetting either nuclear infrastructure or terrorist/radical pockets, as opposed to a warehouse in the middle of the city. Simply, as far as I can see there are many more ways to achieve Israel's national interests without attracting widespread global attention as happening right now, something which probably considered a spectacular failure on intelligence terms. Of course, that is if there's even any strategic advantage at all that Israel can achieve from plotting such action.

[Big Jim P]

I saw several vids. That was on HELL of an explosion.

Did you see the one filmed from a boat? It's the only one where you clearly see the clouds being dispersed by the blast. The only other place I have seen that happen is nuclear weapons tests.

Yeah, I saw that one. Thats what made me think nuke initially.

[Nobel Hobos 2]

Hmm. Mossad aren't exactly obvious, nor are the Lebanese authorities very eager to find casus belli with Israel. If it's what I think it was ... we won't know until the deathbed confession of Netanyahu or his Minister of defence.

What reason would Israel have, though?

Deprive Lebanon of the means to make bombs in the future.

From what I know, Mossad's prime priority usually is to eliminate members of "dangerous groups" directly, such as during Operation Wrath of God. Israeli air strikes, as outlined by its doctrines, are also aimed at targetting either nuclear infrastructure or terrorist/radical pockets, as opposed to a warehouse in the middle of the city.

Or individual fighters they consider particularly important. When they're at home. In a tower block.

Israel's disregard for civilian life is quite well documented. "Civilian shields" Israel says. But sometimes the terrorist didn't go straight home, so all Israel achieved with their airstrike is to kill the terrorist's family and a few of their neighbours.

Israel's approach to punitive strikes is "One of ours is worth a thousand of theirs, guilty or innocent it does not matter. Smite!"

America does not escape blame for this. When the US discovered that it could bomb German cities with impunity, in daytime, it did that with all its might. Zionist Jews, and particularly those who sought refuge in the US and brought wealth to the new Israel, learned this bad lesson from the United States. No longer "win at any cost". But "one of ours is worth a thousand of theirs".

Pardon me if I seem bitter. War crimes playing out with the support of my country's government, tends to make me bitter.

Simply, as far as I can see there are many more ways to achieve Israel's national interests without attracting widespread global attention as happening right now, something which probably considered a spectacular failure on intelligence terms. Of course, that is if there's even any strategic advantage at all that Israel can achieve from plotting such action.

There is I think a probabilistic advantage. Lebanon may never be sure who did it, and I can see the attraction of "it was pure accident" because that makes it somewhat less their fault. But however small the probability of it, "Israel did it" will weigh on their minds and incline them against building a new stockpile of Ammonium Nitrate. Because obviously they don't want something like that to happen again.

"attracting widespread global attention as happening right now". Yes, it would have been less attention if they could set the stockpile on fire. It might burn for days, but it wouldn't kill people and it wouldn't make the news around the world.

But it also wouldn't be such a disincentive to Lebanon to rebuild their stockpile.

[Nobel Hobos 2]

Did you see the one filmed from a boat? It's the only one where you clearly see the clouds being dispersed by the blast. The only other place I have seen that happen is nuclear weapons tests.

Yeah, I saw that one. Thats what made me think nuke initially.

A nuke is just a big explosion. Any explosion where the shockwave is at the speed of sound, has that nuke look.

I was fascinated by that when I was about 8. I could see the principle "hot air rises" and how the shockwave was so far ahead of the cloud, then "hot air rises" again to explain how the cloud rises.

The end of "Dr Strangelove" when it's just nuclear bombs one after the other, with the credits. My dad said "come on, it's just the credits" and tried to pull me out of my seat. I said "but this is the best part!" I'm sure he remembers that too ...

[Valentine Z]

My condolences to the people whose lives have been lost in the explosion (at least 100 dead) ^{[1] [2] [3]}, and as much as I will find it cliched to say it, I do hope that things will get better for the people who were either injured or displaced from their sudden lack of home.

[Nuroblav]

F, especially given that the country is already in a terrible state. Hopefully things improve.

Someone I know - if I remember correctly - has a family in Lebanon but they seem to be fine.

[Valentine Z]

F, especially given that the country is already in a terrible state. Hopefully things improve.

Someone I know - if I remember correctly - has a family in Lebanon but they seem to be fine.

Here's to me hoping that they will be okay! Doesn't help that Covid is still on-going, and now there's this.

[The New California Republic]

Yeah, I saw that one. Thats what made me think nuke initially.

A nuke is just a big explosion. Any explosion where the shockwave is at the speed of sound, has that nuke look.

...no not really. To look similar it needs to be in the same power range as a nuclear weapon, so we are talking about kilotons of explosives. Such an explosion of conventional explosives is exceedingly rare, hence the comparison to nuclear weapons as a benchmark instead of the other way around, when originally the kilotons measurement was meant at the time to relate nuclear explosions to something more relatable: conventional explosives. Since now people have more of an idea of the power and blast effects of nukes than they used to have, the inverse is now the case, we relate very large conventional explosions to nuclear weapons, even though the unit of measurement is the same.

[The Rich Port]

Really makes you wonder where Trump and his cronies got that it was a terrorist attack.

Lebanese sources report that the welding of a door caused sparks which ignited 2,700 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, which caused explosion at Beirut Port earlier today. Meanwhile, Beirut port's general manager said that the facility had housed highly-explosive material, blamed for the powerful blast that rocked Beirut, six years ago based on a court order. The customs department and state security had asked authorities for the material to be exported or removed, but that "nothing happened".

That sounds about right.

[The Alma Mater]

Really makes you wonder where Trump and his cronies got that it was a terrorist attack.

A big boom just before a group of Hezbollah terrorists is to be convicted for murdering Lebanese premier Rafiq Hariri a few years ago?

Suspecting terrorism is logical.

[Neutraligon]

we have to hang vladmir putin and recep taiyp erdogan high, at stake, at least, we ll search for the list of theirs, and others, after.

either way, they will starve and bring all us to preventible death, as they ve made to syrians, stare at what they caused. it will disseminate.

*** 1 day ban for threadjacking and trolling ***. Maybe you will learn to stop doing both.

[Fartsniffage]

No. This rumour needs to be nipped in the bud.

So what triggered the main explosion then if it wasn't the burning cache of fireworks?

Probably this -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deflagrat ... transition

[Nobel Hobos 2]

we have to hang vladmir putin and recep taiyp erdogan high, at stake, at least, we ll search for the list of theirs, and others, after.

either way, they will starve and bring all us to preventible death, as they ve made to syrians, stare at what they caused. it will disseminate.

*** 1 day ban for threadjacking and trolling ***. Maybe you will learn to stop doing both.

Bold call.

"At stake" might have been an attempt to qualify (eg, "metaphorically") what is otherwise a call for extrajudicial killing of two world leaders. But "at stake" could also mean "for starters" which would make it worse. Tricky one; I don't envy you.

Phoenicaea is a long term poster who has persisted despite obvious barriers to being understood. I respect that. Maybe some modly advice about translation software would be in order?

[The New California Republic]

No. This rumour needs to be nipped in the bud.

So what triggered the main explosion then if it wasn't the burning cache of fireworks?

Probably this -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deflagrat ... transition

Precisely what I was getting at. Burning alone can be enough to cause an explosion, some materials have a "bite point" where once they reach a certain heat they just explode, but it can take some time after the initial conflagration for the required heat to be reached.

[An Alan Smithee Nation]

About the only way I can see the authorities coming out of this with any credibility is if the owners of the seized cargo of ammonium nitrate had them tied up in a court case that meant they could not dispose of it. Even so it should have been stored more safely.

[Nobel Hobos 2]

A nuke is just a big explosion. Any explosion where the shockwave is at the speed of sound, has that nuke look.

...no not really. To look similar it needs to be in the same power range as a nuclear weapon, so we are talking about kilotons of explosives.

Like ... 2.7 kilotons of Ammonium Nitrate, with some fuel oil?

Such an explosion of conventional explosives is exceedingly rare, hence the comparison to nuclear weapons as a benchmark instead of the other way around, when originally the kilotons measurement was meant at the time to relate nuclear explosions to something more relatable: conventional explosives. Since now people have more of an idea of the power and blast effects of nukes than they used to have, the inverse is now the case, we relate very large conventional explosions to nuclear weapons, even though the unit of measurement is the same.

Heh. A nuke is just a big explosion. But we rarely see such a big explosion, so it looks like a nuke to us.

On that pleasant note, I think I'll hit the hay.

[Borderlands of Rojava]

Lebanese sources report that the welding of a door caused sparks which ignited 2,700 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, which caused explosion at Beirut Port earlier today. Meanwhile, Beirut port's general manager said that the facility had housed highly-explosive material, blamed for the powerful blast that rocked Beirut, six years ago based on a court order. The customs department and state security had asked authorities for the material to be exported or removed, but that "nothing happened".

I feel bad for the welder.

[Borderlands of Rojava]

Really makes you wonder where Trump and his cronies got that it was a terrorist attack.

Lebanese sources report that the welding of a door caused sparks which ignited 2,700 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, which caused explosion at Beirut Port earlier today. Meanwhile, Beirut port's general manager said that the facility had housed highly-explosive material, blamed for the powerful blast that rocked Beirut, six years ago based on a court order. The customs department and state security had asked authorities for the material to be exported or removed, but that "nothing happened".

That sounds about right.

"I've done more to stop terror than anyone. If I was the King of Lebanon, I would have stopped this shit."

This is something I imagine Trump saying. He already claimed it was a terror attack without evidence.

[Fartsniffage]

Well this is a sobering image.

[Borderlands of Rojava]

Well this is a sobering image.

(Image)

Damn, it wiped the whole port out.

[Aureumterra]

What the fuck…

And there’s already conspiracies popping up, some people are unironically suggesting this was an alien attack