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posted by takyon on Wednesday August 05 2020, @12:09PM   Printer-friendly

Ammonium nitrate: what is the chemical blamed for blast in Lebanese capital?

The likely cause of the huge blast in Beirut on Tuesday appears to have been the highly reactive chemical ammonium nitrate.

Lebanon's prime minister, Hassan Diab, said 2,700 tonnes of ammonium nitrate exploded after lying unsecured in a warehouse for six years, tallying with reports that a ship carrying a similar quantity of the chemical had unloaded its cargo at the port in 2013. It remains unclear what caused the chemical to ignite.

Ammonium nitrate.

Beirut explosion: over half the city damaged in blast that killed at least 100 and wounded 4,000 – live updates

AFP is quoting the governor of Beirut, Marwan Abboud, as saying the damage from the port blast has extended over half of the city, with the cost of damage likely above $3bn.

He has also upped his previous estimate of the number of "homeless" to 300,000, which is close to the total population of the central part of the capital. Again, we are not sure if he is talking about homelessness or people whose homes have been damaged.

As Death Toll Rises After Deadly Blast, a Search for Answers and Survivors: Live Updates

As Death Toll Rises After Deadly Blast, a Search for Answers and Survivors: Live Updates:


Original Submission #1Original Submission #2

 
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  • (Score: 2) by Nuke on Wednesday August 05 2020, @01:34PM (5 children)

    by Nuke (3162) on Wednesday August 05 2020, @01:34PM (#1031699)

    The same kind of thing took place in the western world many times, so there's no justification in pretending to be superior.

    Many? Can you give many examples please?

    The Halifax explosion during WW1 was bad, and there have been one or two other cases in that league, but hardly "many". It is not a case of being superior, but factual, and the fact is that some non-First World nations need to look at their safety regulaltions. I once worked on large industrial plant (in the First World) with a significant potential public safety hazard, and I can assure you we would have been looking very closely at this event, and any reports that came out of it, to see what lessons could be learned. There would be no "superiority" or complacency about it. I was senior enough that I would have ensured it.

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 05 2020, @02:46PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 05 2020, @02:46PM (#1031736)

    Well, one must tally the “many” equivalent “third world” events as well, then.

    So... you know... we’re waiting.

  • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday August 05 2020, @03:51PM (2 children)

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday August 05 2020, @03:51PM (#1031789) Journal

    Speaking of complacency, along with a probably lack of training:

    I watched footage on a news channel years ago. A trucking company was shut down for the weekend, when one of their trailers caught fire. Fire department responds, and doesn't really bother checking the placards on the truck. They roll up, and start the fire hoses going. BOOM!!! They back off a little bit, then come back at it with the water hoses. BOOM! And, it continues, looking very much like a Keystone Cops comedy sketch.

    Can't remember now which one it was, but it was a flammable metal. Flammable metals produce all the oxygen they need to burn by themselves, of course. But, spraying nice, sweet, oxygenated water on the fire only made things worse.

    These dumbass macho firemen insisted that they were going to kill the fire, and kept going back at it with water.

    Somehow, they didn't manage to kill themselves. If they had only read the placards, and maybe the MSDS, and possibly even called Chemtrec, they would have learned how to deal with the fire. Which, would have been to back off, and let the fire burn itself out.

    • (Score: 2) by PinkyGigglebrain on Wednesday August 05 2020, @06:24PM (1 child)

      by PinkyGigglebrain (4458) on Wednesday August 05 2020, @06:24PM (#1031870)

      Probably Sodium or Magnesium. Magnesium is hard to ignite but once it gets going it is hot enough to decompose H2O in to O2 and H2, which it then burn to get even hotter. Sodium will ignite and burn in contact with water.

      If they had only read the placards, and maybe the MSDS, and possibly even called Chemtrec, they would have learned how to deal with the fire. Which, would have been to back off, and let the fire burn itself out.

      You mean the MSDS placards that where on the sides of the BURNING trailer and covered in flames, possibly already burned off when the firefighters arrived? It takes time to call a company on a weekend and actually get through to someone who can give you information about what might be in a truck trailer. How long was the video?

      These dumbass macho firemen insisted that they were going to kill the fire ...

      containing/controlling fires is their job. They put their lives on the line to protect you and your property and that of your family and friends.

      ... and kept going back at it with water.

      Water might have been all they had on hand at the time, not all engine companies have foam or other specialized fire suppression systems.Since you didn't mention the fire spreading to the warehouse and burning it to the ground it would seem they did a good job containing the blaze until the needed equipment arrived.

      "dumbass macho"? based on what? firefighters doing their jobs to the best of their ability with the limited information and equipment they had at hand?

      --
      "Beware those who would deny you Knowledge, For in their hearts they dream themselves your Master."
      • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday August 05 2020, @06:53PM

        by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday August 05 2020, @06:53PM (#1031885) Journal

        You may feel the need to stick up for firemen in general. Not necessary. In comparison to this Podunk Ohio fire department, the Houston Fire Department responded to a chemical emergency for me on a Saturday morning. Their command truck had every MSDS there is, right there in the truck. They KNEW Chemtrec's number. And, I promise, if you call Chemtrec ANYTIME, you'll get a prompt response. 24/7/365, 366 on leap years.

        Not every fire department in this country is equally well trained.

        When the reporters arrived, some time after the fire department arrived, the placards were still visible in their footage. The fire department had no excuse for not identifying the material in the trailer.

        And, to answer your other question - no, there was no warehouse, no residential area close at hand. It was just a typical trucking company lot, full of trucks, trailers, and an office building with an attached 4 or 5 bay garage.

        BTW - foam won't extinguish all flammable metals. Navy protocol is, for a magnesium fire, you push the aircraft overboard. You don't even make any serious attempt to extinguish it. Identify the source of the fire, if it's the magnesium, you deep six it. The foam and/or water will be used to extinquish any fires that were caused by the flammable metal burning, AFTER that metal is out of the way.

  • (Score: 2) by FatPhil on Thursday August 06 2020, @12:22PM

    by FatPhil (863) <pc-soylentNO@SPAMasdf.fi> on Thursday August 06 2020, @12:22PM (#1032220) Homepage
    Google not working for you today?
    Wikipedia even has a listicle about this.
    --
    Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves