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Thoughts for those with contacts in Lebanon.
Posted: 05 Aug 2020, 10:22
by Airspeed
Awful explosion in Lebanon, horrible for the locals.
Thoughts go to any Members with friends or family there.
Re: Thoughts for those with contacts in Lebanon.
Posted: 05 Aug 2020, 12:42
by Paul K
According to the NY Times, it was 2700 tons of stored ammonium nitrate that was detonated, comparing it to just 2 tons of the same chemical that destroyed the Murrah building in Oklahoma City in 1995.
Re: Thoughts for those with contacts in Lebanon.
Posted: 05 Aug 2020, 13:27
by TSR2
Never seen a blast wave like it. Absolutely horrible. Thoughts and prayers with all of those affected.
Re: Thoughts for those with contacts in Lebanon.
Posted: 05 Aug 2020, 13:50
by Nigel H-J
Unbelievable, a terrible tragedy. Just seen the video of the explosion and you can see the shock-wave. The actual explosion itself is horrifying.
my sincere sympathies to those in Beirut who have been affected by this and lost friends/families.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-53659282
Nigel.
Re: Thoughts for those with contacts in Lebanon.
Posted: 05 Aug 2020, 20:04
by Paul K
Before and after pictures. The size of the flooded crater illustrates the immense force of the blast. The capsized white vessel in top right of the lower photo is the cruise ship Orient Queen.
Re: Thoughts for those with contacts in Lebanon.
Posted: 05 Aug 2020, 20:25
by TSR2
That’s 120m cruse ship. Those silos protected the ships on the other side, but I can’t help but think anyone in the ships on the right wouldn’t have survived. Horrible.
Re: Thoughts for those with contacts in Lebanon.
Posted: 05 Aug 2020, 22:00
by FlyTexas
Unbelievable. All of those innocent lives snuffed out.
Here's what is in the news regarding the ship.
The explosion also claimed the head office of the ship's operator, Abou Merhi Cruises, as well as the entire Abou Merhi Group.
Two crew are reported dead while seven are listed in critical condition.
Brian
Re: Thoughts for those with contacts in Lebanon.
Posted: 05 Aug 2020, 23:22
by TSR2
Awful. We provide satellite communication to ships and that’s why I always have some empathy with ships crew. There are some other ships there that I dread to think about the crew.
Re: Thoughts for those with contacts in Lebanon.
Posted: 08 Aug 2020, 20:38
by Paul K
This is interesting - the ship that brought the ammonium nitrate to Beirut is still there, just across water from the explosion site, and lying on its side underwater. After being impounded by the Lebanese authorities in 2013, it was abandoned in 2014 while still tied up alongside the jetty.
This is the ship - the Rhosus:
In February 2018, the ship developed a leak, and slowly sank over a period of days. It was never salvaged or removed by the Beirut port authorities.
Looking on Google Earth today, you can just see its shape under the water. The quay at the bottom is where the explosion took place.
