A massive explosion has just hit Beirut, Lebanon (video)

submitted by magnora7 from twitter.com

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[–]magnora7[S] 14 insightful - 3 fun14 insightful - 2 fun15 insightful - 3 fun -  (73 children)

Wow that was like a nuclear bomb almost, that was a much bigger explosion than I ever expected. Holy cow.

Reuters says it occurred in a port area but doesn't give a reason why: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-lebanon-security-blast/large-blast-in-beirut-port-area-shakes-lebanons-capital-sources-say-idUSKCN25021M

Another video on twitter (just below the OP video on twitter) shows what look to be fireworks going off right before the big explosion, so it might've been a shipment of fireworks.

[–][deleted] 8 insightful - 1 fun8 insightful - 0 fun9 insightful - 1 fun -  (10 children)

From the rusty coloring of the cloud, I'm gonna assume someone had a few tons of ammonium perchlorate stored too close together or all in one area. Most military explosives don't have that burnt chemical color, they leave dark grey and dirt colored dust clouds. Just my armchair two cents.

[–]Tom_Bombadil 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

The rusty cloud exploded upwards in a reddish cloud.

Half a second later a secondary explosion detonated under the rusty cloud.

Edit:

For magnitude reference: slow motion detonation of 950 kilo bomb

That red plume is unusual.

Ammonium Perchlorate Blast. The explosions in this videos don't appear to have rusty colored clouds. IDK.

[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

Yeah the PEPCON explosion is a good example, look at the rust colored smoke at about 4:33 In this vid https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_1kTAX9uWcw That's the same explosion, the video you were looking at doesn't show it quite as well.

Every other vid of AP burning I looked at only results in grey smoke, so I dunno... could be wrong. Definitely looks like the PEPCON explosion.

[–]Tom_Bombadil 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

It certainly looks rust red like the video you linked to.

Good call.

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I've been looking at videos and this one and the PEPCON are the only two I've seen that have that coloring. Apparently they're saying it was ammonium nitrate now, which was also present at the PEPCON explosion. Maybe it's the nitrate that makes the distinct color? Oxidation of the aluminum would be white, so that's not it.

I've seen chemical fires with that coloring before but can't find any demonstrative videos. Petroleum makes black smoke, wood and paper make grey, and chemicals make all sorts of colors. Now I'm curious about that color and what it tells us is similar between these two explosions.

[–]Tom_Bombadil 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

This is interesting info.

Petroleum makes black smoke, wood and paper make grey, and chemicals make all sorts of colors. Now I'm curious about that color and what it tells us is similar between these two explosions.

More questions than answers. Thanks for sharing this.

[–]magnora7[S] 3 insightful - 3 fun3 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 3 fun -  (3 children)

Nice observation! Google says this about it:

Ammonium perchlorate is used in fireworks, explosives, and rocket motors. Also used by the U.S. military in rockets, explosives, flares and ammunition. The chemistry of the solid rocket booster propellant can be summed up in this reaction: Once ignited, the fuel-burning reaction cannot be stopped.

[–]FediNetizen 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I was watching that periscope stream and the government supposedly just confirmed it was supposed to be ammonium nitrate.

[–]magnora7[S] 1 insightful - 2 fun1 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Interesting. Now the only question is was it accidental or intentional... Seems accidental so far based on what little I know

[–]bobbobbybob 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

munitions...

[–]slushpilot 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I read an arabic translation from twitter so someone would need to confirm the source but it said 2700 tons of confiscated nitrate was set off by a welding torch.

It looked like there was a fire already, so probably not ignited directly by the torch itself.

[–]bobbobbybob 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (7 children)

5.4 kt of TNT equivalent. Munitions storge

[–]magnora7[S] 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (4 children)

Interesting, could be. Where are you getting that info? Another comment says it was ammonium perchlorate or ammonium nitrate: https://saidit.net/s/WorldNews/comments/5w1z/a_massive_explosion_has_just_hit_beirut_lebanon/mwx3?context=3

[–]bobbobbybob 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

it was these guys, but tweet is scrubbed now:

https://twitter.com/AlArabiya_Eng

they named it as a hezbollah warehouse in an early tweet

[–]magnora7[S] 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

Interesting, but I have to say jumping to the hezbollah explanation is exactly what Israel wants because then it means they can invade lebanon as per an earlier contract.

[–]bobbobbybob 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

not really relevant, but https://twitter.com/drbairdonline/status/1291070513649823744

weird signals from different places. the tunnels being unearthed hint at munitions fabrication and transport

[–]FediNetizen 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

No way it was 5.4kt equivalent. Lebanese president confirmed there were 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate being stored in the warehouse.

As it happens, that lines up extremely well with the yield calculations done by this redditor several hours ago. Ammonium nitrate has a relative effectiveness (RE is an index for how powerful the explosion is relative to the same mass of TNT) of 0.42, so 2,750 x 0.42 = 1105.5 tons, with that being the upper limit.

Keep in mind since it wasn't arranged for an optimal explosion, so actual yield is gonna be lower, which is why those 700-1000 ton numbers seem like a pretty good range.

At any rate it certainly wasn't 5.4kt, that'd be 30% larger than the largest conventional explosion in recorded history, which was set off intentionally. If we're talking accidental detonations, 5.4kt would be nearly twice the current largest recorded explosion, the Halifax Explosion, which was 2.9kt

[–]FediNetizen 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

5.4kt? You're smoking crack. The Lebanese have confirmed there were 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate in that warehouse. Ammonium nitrate has a relative effectiveness of 0.42, which puts an upper limit of the size at about 1.1kt. That's of course assuming a perfect explosion, which this likely wasn't.

Several hours ago someone posted a detailed Reddit thread where they analyzed the footage to estimate the size of the explosion. The most likely value was in the 700-1000 ton range.

[–]bobbobbybob 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

A leading arabic news source is smoking crack, did you say? Wasn't my estimate.

[–]Edge_Finder 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (38 children)

i dont think nuclear

[–]magnora7[S] 4 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 2 fun -  (37 children)

Nope not nuclear, but almost that size. Humongous explosion

[–]Eroconid 1 insightful - 6 fun1 insightful - 5 fun2 insightful - 6 fun -  (1 child)

Antimatter

[–]magnora7[S] 1 insightful - 5 fun1 insightful - 4 fun2 insightful - 5 fun -  (0 children)

lol. no

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (34 children)

Definitely nuclear.

[–]FediNetizen 9 insightful - 2 fun9 insightful - 1 fun10 insightful - 2 fun -  (31 children)

What? No. It was a huge explosion, but there have been larger conventional explosions, and even a small nuke would leave fallout and detectable radiation levels, of which there are none.

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 2 fun1 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 2 fun -  (30 children)

And you know this how.

Small nukes aren't about making HUGE ASS explosions.

[–]FediNetizen 8 insightful - 2 fun8 insightful - 1 fun9 insightful - 2 fun -  (28 children)

And you know this how.

Because nukes leaving behind radioactive material is basic science.

Also because the Lebanese government has already come out and said there was a huge stockpile of confiscated ammonium nitrate that was being stored in that warehouse.

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (26 children)

No, I meant how do you "know" there isn't any radiation emitted at the site. Are you in the smoldering crater at the moment with a geiger counter in hand?

[–][deleted]  (19 children)

[deleted]

    [–][deleted] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (18 children)

    Yes there would MOST LIKELY be. Also, the phone cameras did not register any radioactivity, which is puzzling.

    However, the amount of energy displayed by that blast front exceeds my guesstimate of what conventional explosives can attain.

    You can compare it to a bomb if you like, but bear in mind that bombs are created SPECIFICALLY for exploding in a devastating way. There is no wasted energy in a bomb. A storage space is not a bomb. Even when filled with explosive stuff. There will be combustible / oxygen mistmatching and other fizzle inducing inefficiencies in a storage space.

    So when a storage space explodes "every bit as energetically as a bomb" ... IT'S A BOMB. Storage spaces explode inefficiently.

    [–]FediNetizen 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

    The explosion happened like 6 hours ago and people have been walking around the explosion site for a while now. You think no government official or individual in Lebanon has thought to check for radiation levels? Of course they have. And if they'd found anything then it would be frontpage news. The fact that there isn't any news about radiation by now means that there is no radiation, which means it wasn't a nuke.

    [–][deleted] 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

    OK so government and media don't lie. Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

    There were nukes used in Yemen, the Ukraine and China this decade. Nobody ever talked about them here in the West.

    I learned about the Ukrainian one from an acquaintance in Europe who happens to have a geiger counter. WHERE IS YOUR MEDIA COVERAGE.

    [–]Jesus 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

    Probably not a nuke but was it bigger than this: https://invidio.us/watch?v=993wlZ6XFSs

    Watch for the 2nd explosion at the end.

    [–]Jesus 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

    This doesn't have the shockwave of the other one though.

    [–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

    It was? I thought it was fairly similar. But then again, scale on camera can be a fickle thing.

    [–]bobbobbybob 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

    what a joke. It was a munitions store

    [–]bobbobbybob 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

    nukes are about making super hot core explosions. That wasn't a nuke by many thousands of degrees.

    [–]magnora7[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

    I don't think so, it was too small of an explosion for nuclear. And plus there'd be reports of radiation readings from Geiger counters in lebanon and there's not

    [–]Chipit 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

    No double flash, genius.

    Come on, a nuclear explosion? You're dumber than I ever thought. :(

    [–][deleted] 1 insightful - 2 fun1 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 2 fun -  (13 children)

    It IS a nuke. With some other explosive chemicals sprinkled on top for color and cuteness.

    [–]magnora7[S] 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun -  (9 children)

    Very doubtful. We'll know soon as the radiation from a nuke would be easily measurable

    [–][deleted] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (7 children)

    Yes, unless there is muzzling of that info by co-opted media and L.E.

    Also, newer nukes are much cleaner than we are used to thinking. But yeah there should definitely be radiation, unless the latest tech does away with it entirely. The fog of ashes in the air after the blast makes me very suspicious. Conventional explosives don't do that.

    [–]magnora7[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (6 children)

    The fog of ashes in the air after the blast makes me very suspicious

    Yeah the yellow fog after is why people are saying ammoium perchlorate was the explosive

    [–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (5 children)

    There were TWO explosions. Yes, I saw the coloring of the first. It's the second with its extremely energetic blast wavefront that puzzles me. Also, the after-blast sound that goes on... Not fire, not explosion, but... Something else. WHAT IS IT?

    [–]bobbobbybob 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

    not a nuke

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

    it was a munitions factory, making explosives for Hezbollah. everyone knows it.

    [–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

    Yes it was. Do you have a point, or are you going to show that such explosion total energy is possible without a nuke? Did I assert it wasn't?

    [–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

    For your education. https://www.veteranstoday.com/2020/08/08/the-history-of-nuclear-weapons-design-1945-2015-banned-by-national-security-letter-ignored-by-vt/

    [–]bobbobbybob 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

    the 15kt NY diagram looks about 3 times bigger than the Beirut explosion.

    I wasn't aware of the tiny nukes, so maybe it as a nuke, next to a bunch of fertilizer

    [–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

    It's always like that. I get told I'm stupid and don't know anything, only to be proven right later. I get nothing but hatred out of educating people.

    [–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

    https://www.veteranstoday.com/2020/08/08/the-history-of-nuclear-weapons-design-1945-2015-banned-by-national-security-letter-ignored-by-vt/

    [–]bobbobbybob 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

    bollocks

    [–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

    OK! =D

    [–]bobbobbybob 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

    i'm more convinced now. nuclear initiation

    [–]Alphix 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

    It WAS a nuke.