Beruit Blast

[jazz]

If you haven't seen this yet. Looks like a mini nuke went off.

Possible causes reported as fireworks, Hezbollah missle depot, chemical factory and storage for ammonia nitrate. Or Israeli attack? Truth is getting muddied as usual.

But shocking nonetheless.

[dalek]

My completely half-assed guess is the fireworks factory first, then touched off flour dust from a ship they were loading/unloading next door which would cause the huge white explosion once enough flour got into the air, then anything else stored in the neighbourhood joined in. People totally underestimate the damage a few hundred tons of flour can do when conditions are just right

[sk_wheatking]

if you haven't seen this yet. Looks like a mini nuke went off.

Possible causes reported as fireworks, hezbollah missle depot, chemical factory and storage for ammonia nitrate. Or israeli attack? Truth is getting muddied as usual.

But shocking nonetheless.

holy ****!!!!

[ry0972]

The latest reports are that a damaged/sinking ship off-loaded 2,700 TONNES of Ammonium Nitrate a while ago.
Then a fireworks warehouse caught fire today and that set off the Ammonium Nitrate!!!

For scale I have seen comparisons to the Oklahoma bombing that only used 2 Tonnes of A-N!!!

Numbers of dead and injured will be huge and take weeks to sort out!!

[jazz]

For scale I have seen comparisons to the Oklahoma bombing that only used 2 Tonnes of A-N!!!

Didn't he have to use a bunch of diesel fuel to ignite that? Fireworks right into dry AN would that spark that kind of explosion with no catalyst?

Anyway, Trumps team and intelligence calling it an attack with some sort of bomb.

[biglentil]

Didn't he have to use a bunch of diesel fuel to ignite that? Fireworks right into dry AN would that spark that kind of explosion with no catalyst?

Anyway, Trumps team and intelligence calling it an attack with some sort of bomb.

Diesel fuel makes it unstable an ignition source is needed. Do not think AN is explosive without a catalyzer.

[ry0972]

The Texas fert explosion a few years ago was around 60-70 Ton.
Some videos have angles of the fire just before explosion and it sure looks like alot of flashes like fireworks?

The grain terminal is supposed to hold 130,000 Tonnes and should be at 75% capacity or more?

It took a massive amount of force!!! And saved alot of lives.

[WiltonRanch]

Diesel fuel makes it unstable an ignition source is needed. Do not think AN is explosive without a catalyzer.

Exactly. Mines mix with fuel to blast. It won’t blow on its own. Now atomized flour or grain dust is a different story.

[Blaithin]

What’s the potential ignition temp of ammonium nitrate?

In my mind it’s not inconceivable that the fire got hot enough to ignite it. Wouldn’t have to be just a spark, could be the temperature of the immediate area.

Off to see what wise old Google says!

[jazz]

It took a massive amount of force!!! And saved alot of lives.

A fireworks depot near an AN storage facility protected by a concrete storage terminal likely full.

A lot of coincidences coming in.

Anyway there was a similar explosion some 60 yrs ago in Texas just about the same amount of AN.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_City_disaster