50 dead in massive Beirut explosion, thousands injured
A massive explosion rocked Beirut today, killing at least 50 people and injuring thousands more. It obliterated buildings in the port district and sent a visible shockwave through much the city, but the cause remains unclear.
Locals report that at least two explosions occurred, and video posted to social media shows a column of smoke rising from fires near a grain silo in the moments before the overwhelming final blast. Some video shows lights sparkling in the fire, suggesting fireworks may be the cause of it and the larger blast that followed. Others interpret it as ammunition "cooking off", implying a weapons storage site.
.. # pic.twitter.com/wCRR258wYY
— (@ShehabAgency) August 4, 2020
a secondary angle showing fireworks going off before the explosion pic.twitter.com/V6vsTAly00
— Rod Breslau (@Slasher) August 4, 2020
The BBC notes that the blast came as locals awaited the verdict in a trial over the killing of ex-prime minister Rafik Hariri in 2005.
The large building in the footage the Harbor Grain Silo. Silo dust often causes spectacular explosions, but extant footage suggests the fire had not reached them.
More footage from different angles:
i thinks this is one of the scariest things Ive seen in a while, cant possibly imagine how terrifying it is to be in Beirut right now pic.twitter.com/qLw1zkJWa1
— ivan (@ukrhoe) August 4, 2020
another angle pic.twitter.com/cYAMsfATty
— (@0xD15EA5E) August 4, 2020
Read the restHuge explosion in Beirut now. My office...
Original Link: https://boingboing.net/2020/08/04/massive-explosion-rocks-beirut.html