The World Daily
Lebanon - Poor containment of highly explosive material led to the deaths of many

Videos captured the toll of the deadly blast in Beirut that killed dozens of people and injured thousands. Photo:AFP

 

Lebanon - Poor containment of highly explosive material led to the deaths of many

 

By Patryk Krych | The World Daily | AUGUST 5th 2020

 

Thousands were injured, and thousands more shocked by the sudden blast that occurred in the Lebanese capital of Beirut on Tuesday, at around 6pm local time. Authorities have narrowed down the cause to be from a storage warehouse, where explosive material was thought to be incorrectly handled.

As of Wednesday, August 5, the total number of dead cannot be entirely calculated. However, of what is known, at least 100 are dead and 4,000 wounded. Lebanon's Health Minister, Hamad Hasan, warned that with the high number of people still reported missing, he fears there’s a good chance that the death toll has yet to rise.

“There are many people missing until now,” Hasan said. “People are asking the emergency department about their loved ones and it is difficult to search at night because there is no electricity. We are facing a real catastrophe and need time to assess the extent of damages.”

Officials are blaming highly explosive materials that have been stored at a warehouse near the city’s port for the past six years. The current, ongoing investigations are focusing on the material, consisting of an estimated 2,750 metric tons of the explosive ammonium nitrate, according to Lebanon’s Prime Minister, Hassan Diab.

Ammonium nitrate is a fairly dangerous substance, most often used either as fertiliser, or for explosives. It has a severe chemical reaction when making contact with fire, causing it to explode, and in the process releases nitrogen oxides and ammonia gas – two very toxic gasses. Laws around the storage of this material are strict, requiring their storage facilities to be fireproofed.

One witness near the port told the AFP news agency “All the buildings around here have collapsed. I'm walking through glass and debris everywhere, in the dark.”

The blast was a powerful one, having been heard as far away as on the island of Cyprus, 240km away from the city.

The disaster comes at a particularly difficult time for Lebanon, with it already in the midst of some severe political turmoil. The country is currently in its worst economic crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war, with the situation only exacerbated by the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Demonstrators have been taking to the streets in protest of the Lebanese government’s poor handling of the economic crisis, which is reported to be an endangerment to the local people’s basic human rights, according to a report sent to the United Nations by Human Rights Watch.

“Lebanon’s people are being robbed of basic rights every day while politicians squabble over the size of the country’s financial losses and hamper efforts at reform,” said Aya Majzoub, Lebanon researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Lebanon should commit to undertaking the difficult but long-overdue reforms that will put its economy back on track and ensure that all residents have access to health care and education.”

Lebanon had been given recommendations that it’d agreed to follow back in 2015, after a review of its socio-economic instability. Thus far, thousands of the country’s citizens were angered by the fact that the government hadn’t made any of its promised progress for improvement. With the explosion at Beirut’s port, and the damages worth over $5 billion according to the Lebanese governor, it’s feared that the economy may only suffer further from this point on.

Much of the city’s hospitals have become inundated with the mass of people in desperate need of medical attention following the sudden tragedy. Many are suffering from broken limbs, or have been lacerated by broken glass. With so many forced to retreat to hospitals, coronavirus fears have been reignited, many understanding the dangers of setting foot in hospitals during a time of pandemic. With so many injured, however, many people aren’t left with much of a choice.

“I make an urgent appeal to friendly and brotherly countries,” said Prime Minister Diab, “To stand by Lebanon and to help us heal our deep wounds.”

 

By Patryk Krych | © The World Daily 2020

 

 

Categories:
World
Tags:
AsiaLebanonBeirutMiddle East