How to resolve AdBlock issue? Explosion at Beirut Port
The death toll from the explosion at a port in Beirut on Tuesday August 4th continues to rise as rescuers search through the rubble. The number of dead rose to 137 recently as the Lebanese army took control of the explosion site on the first day of a two-week state of emergency. It is estimated that around 5,000 were injured.
In this day and age of social media, and live streaming, the explosion was witnessed around the world almost as instaneously as it happend. According to reports the explosion was caused by a vast amount of amonium nitrate, almsot 3,000 tons, which had been stored in a warehouse since it was confiscated 6 years ago.
Why it sat there, seemingly unchecked, has yet to be ascertained, and the port officials responsible for safety and security have been placed under house arrest whilst the investigation is undertaken.
At this point there is not much we can say on this situation that hasn't already been covered by the world's media. This peice from the Guardian provides a visual guide to what occurred that is quite striking https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/05/visual-guide-how-explosion-caused-mass-casualties-and-devastation-across-beirut