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HomeNewsWorld's NewsBeirut Explosion: A Mushroom Cloud of Devastation Hanging above Lebanon

Beirut Explosion: A Mushroom Cloud of Devastation Hanging above Lebanon

Lebanon’s capital Beirut suffered a catastrophic explosion at the port on 4th August. The blast (the reason for which are not known yet) reportedly killed at least 80 people and left 4000 injured. Beirut explosion formed a mushroom cloud and the shocks were felt hundreds of kilometers beyond the city. The country has announced a three-day mourning period starting from today (5th August) and also planned to enact the state of emergency for two-weeks. 

The actual cause of the blast remains unknown but according to latest update it was suggested that the port warehouse had improperly stored highly explosive material for years. It is still not clear what ignited the material that brought this huge disaster in Lebanon. 

Beirut Explosion Brought Lebanon To its Knees

Some people have captured this horrific incident from different angles and shared it on social media to assist in further research. 

It was reported that the shockwaves from the blast affected everything within at least 10km distance. The buildings collapsed, windows were shattered, people died, and the car below was not so lucky like the driver inside.

The power of this explosion caused so much destruction that people started to feel grateful for the pandemic. The lockdown has saved people from coming into offices and potentially get hurt.

Even Cyprus felt the blast waves which was 200km away from Beirut. Until the investigation is complete, the suspected cause of the explosion is assumed assumed as the stored ammonium nitrate. This explosive compound is also used as a fertilizer for agriculture.

The city of Lebanon was greatly suffering from the effects of coronavirus already. It is going through its worse economic crises in history along with overwhelmed hospitals due to rising coronavirus cases. The current destruction has left the country helpless in managing recovery efforts. Thousands injured across Lebanese capital have also put additional pressure on the hospitals.

Who Will Help The Crushed County?

According to the reports, the Beirut port is now disabled until further notice. It is also reported the several countries will send assistance in solidarity with Lebanon. France will dispatch a medical unit and dozens of emergency professionals. The country has also reportedly sent 15 tons of aid which will treat at least 500 victims.  Egypt opened a field hospital in Beirut to receive the injured and Jordan will dispatch a military-style field hospital including all the required staff.

Czech Republic has agreed to send a team of 37 rescuers along with detection dogs. Denmark and Greece have offered to assist Lebanon in humanitarian efforts and help the country in any way they can. 

How Powerful Was The Explosion?

The footages of the explosion were also painful for the viewer. An Indian actor opined that the incident is evidence of how brutal 2020 has been to humanity and is still continuing.

The beautiful port of Beirut has turned into a barren post-apocalyptic site in middleeast. 

https://twitter.com/Partisangirl/status/1290726842610020352

An aspiring geneticist estimated the total energy contained in the explosion which to be nearly 3000 tons of trinitrotoluene (TNT), which was confusing because news reports mentioned the explosive material was ammonium nitrate which is a less reactive compound than TNT. Many bodies have compared this incident to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. However, according to calculation, it appears that this explosion was only 20% of the power that was contained in the bombs the US dropped on Japanese cities.

Alternatively if this catastrophe occurred in the middle of the city rather than the port, there would have double the current damage. The Prime Minister of Lebanon could not stop his tears while talking to the media

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