What caused the explosion in Lebanon in 2020?
What caused the explosion in Lebanon in 2020?
The explosion resulted from the detonation of tons of ammonium nitrate, a combustible chemical compound commonly used in agriculture as a high-nitrate fertilizer, but which can also be used to manufacture explosives.
How did blast happened in Lebanon?
The port explosion took place on 4 August 2020 after a fire detonated 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate. The combustible chemical, which is widely used as agricultural fertiliser, had been stored unsafely in a port warehouse for almost six years.
What chemical caused the Beirut explosion?
Ammonium Nitrate
A massive chemical detonation occurred on August 4, 2020 in the Port of Beirut, Lebanon. An uncontrolled fire in an adjacent warehouse ignited ~2,750 tons of Ammonium Nitrate (AN), producing one of the most devastating blasts in recent history.
What city blew up recently?
Beirut, Lebanon
2020 Beirut explosion
| Aftermath of the explosion, with the destroyed grain silos to the left and the flooded blast crater to the right | |
|---|---|
| Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap | |
| Location | Beirut, Lebanon |
| Coordinates | 33°54′05″N 35°31′09″E |
| Type | Ammonium nitrate explosion |
Why was there a blast in Beirut?
The initial explosion, at about 18:07 local time (15:07 UTC), likely triggered by the stored fireworks, sent up a large cloud of smoke and a crackle of bright firework flashes, and heavily damaged the structure of Warehouse 12 itself with a force equivalent to around 1.5–2.5 tons of TNT.
How did the Beirut fire start?
The explosion resulted from the detonation of tonnes of ammonium nitrate, a combustible chemical compound commonly used in agriculture as a high nitrate fertilizer, but which can also be used to manufacture explosives.
Why was the Beirut blast so massive?
The blast was caused by a large amount of AN exceeding 2.7 kilotons, fueled by the initial flames emitted from the adjacent burning warehouse. The destructive AN detonation resulted in an instantaneous massive blast that was heard in Cyprus 125 miles away in the Mediterranean Sea.
