The Beirut blast. What caused it?

This Tuesday (4th August), a massive explosion in the evening hours rocked the Lebanese capital of Beirut. The explosion occurred in the city's port area, killing at least 135 people and wounding about 5000.

The Facts.

The blast is said to have taken place at 6:07 pm local time near the Beirut port and central district. A massive smoke cloud accompanied by a thundering noise, shook the people of Beirut during the generally peaceful evening hours. The powerful gust created due to the blast is said to have pierced through cars, walls, and even entire houses. The explosion set off an earthquake of 3.3 on the Richter scale and its effects were even felt in Cyprus--240km away. Along with the disastrous loss of lives, the blast has also damaged the city economically with the Governor of Beirut, Marwan Abboud, saying that the mishap has resulted in US$ 90 billion worth of loss.

The (possible) Cause.

According to Lebanese PM Hassan Diab, 2,750 metric tones of volatile ammonium nitrate, which was stored 'carelessly' in a hanger just a few kilometers away from the city's most busy districts, is to blame for the blast. The authorities say that the ammonium nitrate was brought to Beirut in a Russian ship, which was later abandoned by its crew. The cargo of the ship was then confiscated and stored in a nearby hanger.

Scientific experts say that although ammonium nitrate in its pure solid form is very stable and is used in many pesticides, it can become easily detonable when mixed with contaminants-- even in small quantities. Therefore, there are strict government rules on how to store the chemical properly, which were clearly not followed properly by the Beirut port authority. The cause of this accident, if true, reveals to us just how irresponsible government authorities can be even in following basic protocol.

Comments

The Bombay Stock Exchange: How was it formed?

Little would a stranger looking at the subtle Phiroze Jeejeebhoy tower in the old part of Bombay know that the building houses about US$2.87 trillion in public wealth! The Bombay Stock exchange is one of the most reputed and renowned stock exchanges in the world and the oldest stock exchange in Asia. It has delivered sizeable returns to the investors in its products and has directly, or indirectly, employed hundreds of thousands of people over the years. The Story: In the 1850s British India, five stockbrokers decided to conduct daily sale meetings under a banyan tree in front of the Bombay town hall. Over the years many people were attracted by the profitability of the business and started joining the stockbrokers' group. Due to its increasing size, the group had to constantly keep shifting venues. Stockbrokers in downtown Bombay, c.a. 1865 Finally, in 1874, the group relocated to the place presently known as Dalal (Hindi for broker) street in South Bombay. A ye...

The Story Of Hemu: A Grocer who became the King of India

Hem Chandra Vikramaditya, or Hemu, was born in 1501 in the Alwar province of Rajputana(now Rajasthan) in a family of Dhusar Brahmins. Soon after his birth, his family shifted to the small town of Rewari(in present-day Haryana) in search of better prospects. Being a grocer's son, he was brought up to be a shopkeeper; but, of course, Hemu wasn't any ordinary tradesman--from a relatively young age, Hemu displayed remarkable intelligence and a fiery sense of ambition. During this time, following the death of the Afghan ruler Sher Shah Suri (the founder of the Suri dynasty in India), his son Islam Shah Suri took over the empire. However, Islam Shah's brother Adil Khan resisted his rise to power and rebelled against the empire. In the battle that followed, Adil Khan's army was routed by Islam Shah and he had to flee for his life. Giving notice to this political development, Hemu realized that the Imperial Army chasing the rebels would soon pass through Rewari, and would sure...

The Key that could have saved the Titanic !

The infamous ship RMS Titanic sank in the Atlantic ocean after crashing into an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York City. The Titanic was one of the most grandest and luxurious ships of its time: standing an incredible 882 feet long and 175 feet high, with amenities such as royal suites and electric baths on board. Various films and documentaries have been made on the story of the Titanic, perhaps the most famous one being the 1997 version starring Leonardo Di Caprio and Kate Winslet. Titanic (1997) The Crash On the 10th of April, 1912, the Titanic set sail on its maiden voyage. The ship sailed normally for the first four days without seeing much action. On the evening of 14th April, however, the Titanic received warnings from other ships about drifting ice near the Great Banks of Newfoundland. The captain chose to ignore these warnings and continue to move forward in full speed. He was immensely confident that a few pieces of i...

RethinKnoww

Search This Blog