Re: Monster explosion in Beirut

[Ymx]

I hope the Hiroshima comparisons aren't serious, it's evidently not even close to being the same. A nuclear explosion is a flash, then you're gone.

It will be interesting to see how the 'health and safety gone mad' groups react to this, because things like this is exactly why health and safety exists.

That was just me.

But by Christ did the the explosion travel some distance.

[Biffer]

I'm still confused by all the minor explosions and bangs in the fire before it all went up. Were they really storing fireworks in the same building?

It sounds similar to the description of the Texas City fertiliser explosion - catches fire, burns more and more intensely, then bang.

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

[Biffer]

BBC reporter was doing an interview when the explosion took place



Terrifying experience.

[Akkerman]

a wedding video to remember

[Uncle fester]

I'm still confused by all the minor explosions and bangs in the fire before it all went up. Were they really storing fireworks in the same building?

Might have been other chemicals.
Let's wait and see what comes out of the investigation.

[Blake]

I hope the Hiroshima comparisons aren't serious, it's evidently not even close to being the same. A nuclear explosion is a flash, then you're gone

The Hiroshima explosion was 13-18 kilotons.
Beirut was about 2 kilotons.
So maybe not quite comparible , but also not far off from some small, modern, tactical nuke yield.

On the “flash the you’re gone” comment, maybe in the direct blast zone, but a couple of km out it would be very similar shockwave a couple of seconds after the flash and then some radiation to ruin your shitty day even further, depending on the wind.

[Biffer]

I hope the Hiroshima comparisons aren't serious, it's evidently not even close to being the same. A nuclear explosion is a flash, then you're gone

The Hiroshima explosion was 13-18 kilotons.
Beirut was about 2 kilotons.
So maybe not quite comparible , but also not far off from some small, modern, tactical nuke yield.

On the “flash the you’re gone” comment, maybe in the direct blast zone, but a couple of km out it would be very similar shockwave a couple of seconds after the flash and then some radiation to ruin your shitty day even further, depending on the wind.

Don't think it was 2 kilotons, the info I've seen is that the fertiliser is about 0.4 times explosiveness of TNT, so nearer 1 kt, probably less as it's unlikely it all went up.

[Enzedder]

And to add a little of local flavour, a shopping mall just over my back fence is closed and roads cordoned as homemade explosive devices have been found inside.

I wish they would extend the cordon to reach my "office" so I didn't have to work.

[Un Pilier]

And to add a little of local flavour, a shopping mall just over my back fence is closed and roads cordoned as homemade explosive devices have been found inside.

I wish they would extend the cordon to reach my "office" so I didn't have to work.

What sort of knobheads would be doing that, Enz? I mean the mall, not your “office”.

[Enzedder]

Not sure if the devices were viable or placed there as a joke but that place has high foot traffic, especially on wet days as it is fully covered

I hope it's a prank as the alternate is fecking scary

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/122361 ... ilton-mall

[Enzedder]

Ahh, sounds like an attempt to blow open an ATM and more devices have been scattered around

[Saint]

I hope the Hiroshima comparisons aren't serious, it's evidently not even close to being the same. A nuclear explosion is a flash, then you're gone

The Hiroshima explosion was 13-18 kilotons.
Beirut was about 2 kilotons.
So maybe not quite comparible , but also not far off from some small, modern, tactical nuke yield.

On the “flash the you’re gone” comment, maybe in the direct blast zone, but a couple of km out it would be very similar shockwave a couple of seconds after the flash and then some radiation to ruin your shitty day even further, depending on the wind.

Don't think it was 2 kilotons, the info I've seen is that the fertiliser is about 0.4 times explosiveness of TNT, so nearer 1 kt, probably less as it's unlikely it all went up.

So around the high end of the W54 designs then

[mat the expat]

Port Officials unders house arrest - probably for their own safety at this stage

[mat the expat]

As mentioned, lots more of these stockpiles are LARGER than the Beirut depot:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-05/ ... TSkCJ9iOLY

The deadly Beirut blast that killed more than 100 people has driven fresh calls for a large ammonium nitrate stockpile and plant in Newcastle, storing up to four times the amount reportedly detonated in the blast, to be relocated away from residents.

Lebanon's Interior Minister said 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate was in the Beirut blast.

Newcastle's stockpile of between 6,000 to 12,000 tonnes is stored at Orica's Kooragang Island plant in the Port of Newcastle, according to the company.

"That factory is only three kilometres from Newcastle's CBD and only 800 metres from North Stockton residents," said chemical engineer and community campaigner Keith Craig.

"It's a totally inappropriate place to have such a dangerous material produced and stored, and it's something we've been complaining about for many, many years.

[fishfoodie]

As mentioned, lots more of these stockpiles are LARGER than the Beirut depot:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-05/ ... TSkCJ9iOLY

The deadly Beirut blast that killed more than 100 people has driven fresh calls for a large ammonium nitrate stockpile and plant in Newcastle, storing up to four times the amount reportedly detonated in the blast, to be relocated away from residents.

Lebanon's Interior Minister said 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate was in the Beirut blast.

Newcastle's stockpile of between 6,000 to 12,000 tonnes is stored at Orica's Kooragang Island plant in the Port of Newcastle, according to the company.

"That factory is only three kilometres from Newcastle's CBD and only 800 metres from North Stockton residents," said chemical engineer and community campaigner Keith Craig.

"It's a totally inappropriate place to have such a dangerous material produced and stored, and it's something we've been complaining about for many, many years.

The joy of two, completely contradictory imperatives:

- you must consolidate storage; so you can avoid spreading risk
- you must avoid consolidating storage; so you don't increase risk

If you try getting approval for distributed storage of, say 50 tonnes of AN; the penny pinchers will crawl all over you; but if you consolidate 250 tonnes in one place, to reduce the costs of securing it; then the safety guys will, justifiably, crawl up your ass.

[mat the expat]

It's not like Australia doesn't have thousands of Kilometres of space outside of a CBD you could use - all on the Main Freeways

[fishfoodie]

I'm still confused by all the minor explosions and bangs in the fire before it all went up. Were they really storing fireworks in the same building?

I saw that; & to me these projectiles didn't look, vigorous, enough of fireworks. If they were fireworks with their own propellant; I'd be expecting them to shot hundreds of meters out; but instead they weren't. To me they looked like aerosol cans, or whatever; where a pressurized vessel was heated & became a low energy projectile.

If there was black powder involved; there'd have been hundreds of small detonations before the big one.

[Chrysoprase]

Posted this on the gifs fred but thought it was appropriate to put it here

[Ymx]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/nationalpo ... 96d0c/amp/

Suggests it as 2.75 Kiloton

About 20-25% of Hiroshima which was 12-15

Edit: just read it’s about equiv to 1.8Kt of TNT, so more like 15%

[Nols]

Posted this on the gifs fred but thought it was appropriate to put it here

Came here to post that. It's incredible.

[mat the expat]

Definitely Italian Concreters built that Grain Silo!

[Ymx]

Death toll only 135, but with many thousands of injuries at this stage.

[Blake]

Death toll only 135, but with many thousands of injuries at this stage.

When I saw the initial video and the close proximity to residential areas I though 1000+ dead.

It’s still early days and probably chaos on the ground with the closest hospital affected, so that toll will climb, but that number is suspiciously low IMO.

[Raggs]

Grain silos are built to survive explosions. Admittedly, internal ones caused by dust, but the walls are made to survive and direct the explosion upwards.

The stockpile in Newcastle, I'd ask how it's stored. Typically storage for these things are the same as grain silos. Made to survive explosion, aim the explosion upwards, lots of separate stores so that one does not effect the other. Climate controlled I believe, definitely no flames/hot works etc nearby.

[Ymx]

Death toll only 135, but with many thousands of injuries at this stage.

When I saw the initial video and the close proximity to residential areas I though 1000+ dead.

It’s still early days and probably chaos on the ground with the closest hospital affected, so that toll will climb, but that number is suspiciously low IMO.

exactly. and think the toll on homes destroyed was huge also, so surely ...

[obelixtim]

Anyone close to that explosion would have been vaporised. There will be quite a few who will never be found.

[obelixtim]

Grain silos are built to survive explosions. Admittedly, internal ones caused by dust, but the walls are made to survive and direct the explosion upwards.

The stockpile in Newcastle, I'd ask how it's stored. Typically storage for these things are the same as grain silos. Made to survive explosion, aim the explosion upwards, lots of separate stores so that one does not effect the other. Climate controlled I believe, definitely no flames/hot works etc nearby.

I would say the Newcastle stockpile will be moved pretty damn quickly.

[Lobby]

Anyone close to that explosion would have been vaporised. There will be quite a few who will never be found.

There were apparently firefighters on site trying to deal with the first fire when the explosion happened.

There are still large numbers of missing people, and 1,000s of homes are now uninhabitable, so the death toll will definitely rise. And while the grain silo absorbed quite a bit of the blast, it also means that there will be food shortages now in the Lebanon, as the silo contained most of the country's grain supplies, and almost all food imports come through the port, which has been destroyed.

[Sinkers]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1024963 ... 749951511/

Lebanon Rugby disaster fund if anybody’s inclined to donate.

[tcc_dc]

Anyone close to that explosion would have been vaporised. There will be quite a few who will never be found.

There were apparently firefighters on site trying to deal with the first fire when the explosion happened.

There are still large numbers of missing people, and 1,000s of homes are now uninhabitable, so the death toll will definitely rise. And while the grain silo absorbed quite a bit of the blast, it also means that there will be food shortages now in the Lebanon, as the silo contained most of the country's grain supplies, and almost all food imports come through the port, which has been destroyed.

My friend who lives there was not at home when this happened, but his apartment building has been destroyed. Yesterday he said it was just a big dig.

But he is just happy he was not at home.

[Slick]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1024963 ... 749951511/

Lebanon Rugby disaster fund if anybody’s inclined to donate.

I know the guy organising this, a good chap.

[Un Pilier]

Definitely Italian Concreters built that Grain Silo!

The big water filled hole in the ground where the quayside used to be grabbed my attention

[Sandstorm]

Definitely Italian Concreters built that Grain Silo!

The big water filled hole in the ground where the quayside used to be grabbed my attention

That'll fuel "Israel used the fire as cover for dropping a bomb on the port" conspiracy nuts for decades.

[Nols]

Definitely Italian Concreters built that Grain Silo!

The big water filled hole in the ground where the quayside used to be grabbed my attention

That'll fuel "Israel used the fire as cover for dropping a bomb on the port" conspiracy nuts for decades.

I saw a slightly odd reply under a tweet about this the other day and clicked on the profile to see what crackpot stuff was in their timeline.
Apparently the explosion is the result of a direct energy weapon. Something that's still an experimental idea and, from what I gather, can be summarised as "frikkin laser beams".
Saw some other tweets with people claiming that you could clearly see a missile just prior to impact for a frame. Other people pointed out that it was a seagull on screen for a moment.

Some people are just so strange. Everything has to be something more sinister than it actually is, and they are trying to keep the truth from you. Bizarre.

[Raggs]

The big water filled hole in the ground where the quayside used to be grabbed my attention

That'll fuel "Israel used the fire as cover for dropping a bomb on the port" conspiracy nuts for decades.

I saw a slightly odd reply under a tweet about this the other day and clicked on the profile to see what crackpot stuff was in their timeline.
Apparently the explosion is the result of a direct energy weapon. Something that's still an experimental idea and, from what I gather, can be summarised as "frikkin laser beams".
Saw some other tweets with people claiming that you could clearly see a missile just prior to impact for a frame. Other people pointed out that it was a seagull on screen for a moment.

Some people are just so strange. Everything has to be something more sinister than it actually is, and they are trying to keep the truth from you. Bizarre.

The picture of the "missile" is brilliant. If you watch the video it's from, you can clearly see it's a bird flying across.

There's a load of stuff now about the high level (I don't know if it's particularly high or not) from a radiation monitoring station in Italy. Conspiracy nuts going off that it's clearly therefore a nuke. Ignoring the fact that it's spiking an hour before the explosion, and the winds blow the other way mostly, ignoring that it's 1000 miles away, and others haven't been effected :D.

[Lobby]

That'll fuel "Israel used the fire as cover for dropping a bomb on the port" conspiracy nuts for decades.

I saw a slightly odd reply under a tweet about this the other day and clicked on the profile to see what crackpot stuff was in their timeline.
Apparently the explosion is the result of a direct energy weapon. Something that's still an experimental idea and, from what I gather, can be summarised as "frikkin laser beams".
Saw some other tweets with people claiming that you could clearly see a missile just prior to impact for a frame. Other people pointed out that it was a seagull on screen for a moment.

Some people are just so strange. Everything has to be something more sinister than it actually is, and they are trying to keep the truth from you. Bizarre.

The picture of the "missile" is brilliant. If you watch the video it's from, you can clearly see it's a bird flying across.

There's a load of stuff now about the high level (I don't know if it's particularly high or not) from a radiation monitoring station in Italy. Conspiracy nuts going off that it's clearly therefore a nuke. Ignoring the fact that it's spiking an hour before the explosion, and the winds blow the other way mostly, ignoring that it's 1000 miles away, and others haven't been effected :D.

I saw this thread on Twitter from some Trumpist conspiracy nutter, who is convinced this was a controlled explosion intended to take out "Iran's entire supply of rocket fuel in Lebanon. AND. They greatly reduced the destruction by causing DEFLAGRATION instead of DETONATION."

https://twitter.com/COsweda/status/1290748019218853890

[Nols]

Arguing that that's a deflagration instead of detonation!

[Oxbow]

I saw this thread on Twitter from some Trumpist conspiracy nutter, who is convinced this was a controlled explosion intended to take out "Iran's entire supply of rocket fuel in Lebanon. AND. They greatly reduced the destruction by causing DEFLAGRATION instead of DETONATION."

https://twitter.com/COsweda/status/1290748019218853890

My guess is all the dead were Iranians.

Yes, windows were broken.

Would you rather have broken windows or another war?

Twat.

[.OverThere]

Because of the hole in the wharf I think the white cloud that gives the nuclear mushroom effect is displaced water, probably steam.

[Uncle fester]

Grain silos are built to survive explosions. Admittedly, internal ones caused by dust, but the walls are made to survive and direct the explosion upwards.

The stockpile in Newcastle, I'd ask how it's stored. Typically storage for these things are the same as grain silos. Made to survive explosion, aim the explosion upwards, lots of separate stores so that one does not effect the other. Climate controlled I believe, definitely no flames/hot works etc nearby.

Being designed to withstand stresses from inside doesn't necessarily mean they'll be able to withstand stresses from outside.

Vessels built with a vacuum rating could still have a small positive pressure rating.