Explosions in Beirut

[89th]

It was heard from 180 miles away, north of Cyprus

[Klaus]

I don't know how accurate these calculations are, but somebody estimated that the blast of the supposed 2700 tons of ammonium nitrate correspond to around 1 kiloton of TNT. Hiroshima was around 16 kilotons. More modern atomic bombs can easily exceed 20 megatons. If one kiloton does this, I'd really prefer to not be anywhere near an exploding atomic bomb (ok, not a very surprising thought, but that blast gives you an appreciation of what a megaton TNT must be like.

[Jolly]

You know, sometimes it's best to put the cell phone down...

[taiwan_girl]

Wow!!!

[89th]

@Klaus said in Explosions in Beirut:

I don't know how accurate these calculations are, but somebody estimated that the blast of the supposed 2700 tons of ammonium nitrate correspond to around 1 kiloton of TNT. Hiroshima was around 16 kilotons. More modern atomic bombs can easily exceed 20 megatons. If one kiloton does this, I'd really prefer to not be anywhere near an exploding atomic bomb (ok, not a very surprising thought, but that blast gives you an appreciation of what a megaton TNT must be like.

No kidding! Here’s some quick stats, I think are accurate in terms of yield TNT (in tons) equivalent:

• MOAB (our largest non-nuke) = 11
• Beirut = 1,000
• Hiroshima = 16,000
• Current nukes = 600,000 to 2,200,000
• Larry’s head if Biden wins = 14,000,000
• Mt St Helens = 26,000,000
• Tsar Bomb = 50,000,000

[taiwan_girl]

@89th said in Explosions in Beirut:

Larry’s head if Biden wins = 14,000,000

Too funny

[89th]

https://www.reddit.com/r/PublicFreakout/comments/i3sxwq/a_compilation_of_videos_showing_the_explosion_in/

Many videos coming out, this is a compilation.

[89th]

https://www.reddit.com/r/PublicFreakout/comments/i3ps5j/im_surprised_it_was_that_loud_after_all_that/

And this one. Look how loud it is, even if you’re “30 seconds away”. (Many miles)

[Horace]

Wow.

[Aqua Letifer]

@89th said in Explosions in Beirut:

Look how loud it is,

Link to video

Just sayin'

[jon-nyc]

[taiwan_girl]

@jon-nyc Wow

This was a terrible thing that happened, and I hesitate to say this, but I am glad that it was not terrorism.

(At least so far it does not appear to be).

[Mik]

So far. Here's an explanation. Probably sadder than terrorism.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/05/opinion/beirut-explosions.html

[taiwan_girl]

If it was ammonium nitrate, reminds me of the Ryongchon disaster in DPRK

Before

After

[George K]

Close up:

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/08/05/Watch-Closest-footage-yet-of-Beirut-blasts-from-apartment-balcony-opposite-port.html

[Catseye3]

Fox: "[Former NSC spox Michael] Anton told guest host John Roberts the substance which ignited to cause the powerful blast was ammonium nitrate -- a key component of agricultural fertilizer that had been stored in a warehouse at Beirut's port since 2013, when it was offloaded from a Russian-leased ship that had made an unscheduled stop there.

"Officials have worried about this for years saying we have to get this out of here," Anton said. "This dragged on for seven years."

"Anton added that Lebanon's government has been in a state of turmoil for more than four decades and is neither completely functional, nor does it have full control of all of its territory."

More: https://www.foxnews.com/media/michael-anton-beirut-explosion-accident-waiting-happen