A Brief History
On August 4, 2020, one of the largest explosions of something not meant to be an explosive occurred in a warehouse in the port of Beirut, Lebanon, when 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate went up in an explosion that rivaled a small nuclear weapon.
Digging Deeper
A fire resulting from welding at the warehouse was the cause, and over 200 people died with an additional 7,000 injured, leaving a crater over 400 feet across and over 140 feet deep! Incredibly, 300,000 people were made homeless by the double blasts 30 seconds apart and homes 6 miles aways were damaged. The explosion could be heard 150 miles away and felt even farther.
The ammonium nitrate, used as fertilizer, is also used in making bombs when mixed with fuel oil or diesel fuel. The blast destroyed much of the grain reserves of Lebanon and the Middle East, posing a severe threat of hunger in the area.
Question for students (and subscribers) to ponder: What is the largest explosion you have ever seen?
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Eckhoff, Rolf. Explosion Hazards in the Process Industries: Why Explosions Occur and How to Prevent Them, with Case Histories. Gulf Publishing Company, 2013.
Kassir, Samir. Beirut. University of California Press, 2010.
