Huge explosion in Beirut

[dennishoddy]

2700 tons of Ammonium Nitrate in the report.
Ammonium Nitrate is actually a low explosive material that can generate into a high explosive by outside contributors.
Research at your own peril.

 

[murphranch]

2700 tons of Ammonium Nitrate in the report.
Ammonium Nitrate is actually a low explosive material that can generate into a high explosive by outside contributors.
Research at your own peril.

Report said it was poorly stored and unsecured at warehouse for several years and the port officials were aware of it. We all know the power of that stuff when it’s lit up.


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[dennishoddy]

Report said it was poorly stored and unsecured at warehouse for several years and the port officials were aware of it. We all know the power of that stuff when it’s lit up.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Very similar to the Texas city disaster in 1947 at Galveston where some reports say a discarded cigarette that caused a fire generated the biggest explosion in US history.

At 9:12 a.m., the ammonium nitrate reached an explosive threshold from the combination of heat and pressure.[7] The vessel detonated, causing great destruction and damage throughout the port. The tremendous blast produced a 15-foot (4.5 m) wave that was detectable nearly 100 miles (160 km) from the Texas shoreline. The blast leveled nearly 1,000 buildings on land. The Grandcamp explosion destroyed the Monsanto Chemical Company plant and resulted in ignition of refineries and chemical tanks on the waterfront. Falling bales of burning twine from the ship's cargo added to the damage, and the Grandcamp's anchor was hurled across the city. Two sightseeing airplanes flying nearby were blown out of the sky [8], while 10 miles (16 km) away, half of the windows in Galveston were shattered.[9] The explosion blew almost 6,350 short tons (5,760 metric tons) of the ship's steel into the air, some at supersonic speed. Official casualty estimates came to a total of 567, including all the crewmen who remained aboard the Grandcamp. All but one member of the 28-man Texas City volunteer fire department were killed in the initial explosion on the docks while fighting the shipboard fire. With fires raging throughout Texas City, first responders from other areas were initially unable to reach the site of the disaster.

The first explosion ignited ammonium nitrate in the nearby cargo ship High Flyer. The crews spent hours attempting to cut the High Flyer free from her anchor and other obstacles, in order to move her, without success. After smoke had been pouring from the hold for over 5 hours, and about 15 hours after the explosions aboard the Grandcamp, the High Flyer exploded, demolishing the nearby SS Wilson B. Keene, killing at least two more people and increasing the damage to the port and other ships with more shrapnel and burning material. One of the propellers on the High Flyer was blown off and subsequently found nearly a mile inland. It is now part of a memorial park and is located near the anchor of the Grandcamp. The propeller is cracked in several places, and one blade has a large piece missing.

The cause of the initial fire on board the Grandcamp was never determined. It may have been started by a cigarette discarded the previous day, meaning the ship's cargo had been smoldering throughout the night when the fire was discovered on the morning of the day of the explosion.[1]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_City_disaster

 

[Snattlerake]

Or the 2013 one at West Texas at the AN plant that killed all the firefighters and several civilians nearby. Fifteen total. Turned out to be arson.

 

[SlugSlinger]

Thanks for sharing this.

I just asked a buddy of mine how much of this is stored at one "undisclosed" location in the state that is in his fire district. The MSDS sheet says no less than 80,000 tons and the max of 260,000 tons.

Very similar to the Texas city disaster in 1947 at Galveston where some reports say a discarded cigarette that caused a fire generated the biggest explosion in US history.

At 9:12 a.m., the ammonium nitrate reached an explosive threshold from the combination of heat and pressure.[7] The vessel detonated, causing great destruction and damage throughout the port. The tremendous blast produced a 15-foot (4.5 m) wave that was detectable nearly 100 miles (160 km) from the Texas shoreline. The blast leveled nearly 1,000 buildings on land. The Grandcamp explosion destroyed the Monsanto Chemical Company plant and resulted in ignition of refineries and chemical tanks on the waterfront. Falling bales of burning twine from the ship's cargo added to the damage, and the Grandcamp's anchor was hurled across the city. Two sightseeing airplanes flying nearby were blown out of the sky [8], while 10 miles (16 km) away, half of the windows in Galveston were shattered.[9] The explosion blew almost 6,350 short tons (5,760 metric tons) of the ship's steel into the air, some at supersonic speed. Official casualty estimates came to a total of 567, including all the crewmen who remained aboard the Grandcamp. All but one member of the 28-man Texas City volunteer fire department were killed in the initial explosion on the docks while fighting the shipboard fire. With fires raging throughout Texas City, first responders from other areas were initially unable to reach the site of the disaster.

The first explosion ignited ammonium nitrate in the nearby cargo ship High Flyer. The crews spent hours attempting to cut the High Flyer free from her anchor and other obstacles, in order to move her, without success. After smoke had been pouring from the hold for over 5 hours, and about 15 hours after the explosions aboard the Grandcamp, the High Flyer exploded, demolishing the nearby SS Wilson B. Keene, killing at least two more people and increasing the damage to the port and other ships with more shrapnel and burning material. One of the propellers on the High Flyer was blown off and subsequently found nearly a mile inland. It is now part of a memorial park and is located near the anchor of the Grandcamp. The propeller is cracked in several places, and one blade has a large piece missing.

The cause of the initial fire on board the Grandcamp was never determined. It may have been started by a cigarette discarded the previous day, meaning the ship's cargo had been smoldering throughout the night when the fire was discovered on the morning of the day of the explosion.[1]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_City_disaster

 

[bigred1]

They're was reportedly 2750 metric tons of ammonium nitrate stored at that facility. To put that into perspective, less than 2 metric tons were used in the OKC bombing.

 

[Profreedomokie]

From what they are saying now I think I nailed it. I told my wife after watching it several times. My guess was a chemical explosion and not a bomb (the big blast) and ammonium nitrate. I'm amazed there wasn't more people killed.

 

[CHenry]

From what they are saying now I think I nailed it. I told my wife after watching it several times. My guess was a chemical explosion and not a bomb (the big blast) and ammonium nitrate. I'm amazed there wasn't more people killed.

we both nailed it

 

[Oklahomabassin]

From what they are saying now I think I nailed it. I told my wife after watching it several times. My guess was a chemical explosion and not a bomb (the big blast) and ammonium nitrate. I'm amazed there wasn't more people killed.

Reckon they don't have a real fatality count yet?

 

[CHenry]

Reckon they don't have a real fatality count yet?

I think its going to be a missing persons report first. Those welders were likely vaporized along with many others.