The capital of Lebanon, Beirut, is located right on the Mediterranean coast and also includes the country’s main port. It is estimated that around 2.3 million people live in the city. Beirut is the economic and cultural center of Lebanon with several universities, some of them international.
On the evening of August 4, 2020, two massive explosions shook the port of Beirut. “Buildings near the port were completely destroyed, balconies torn from houses, cars thrown through the air,” reported ARD correspondent Björn Blaschke. The shock wave shattered panes of glass several kilometers away. Telephone and internet went down in the city. The number of those affected rose to around 158 dead and 6,000 injured in the course of the following days. Up to 300,000 people lost their homes.
This NASA satellite image shows the extent of the damage. The radar data mark where the ground surface has changed the most – this is where the explosions caused the greatest damage. The points that are most strongly colored red show the greatest changes, the yellow pixels the less marked changes. Each individual point covers an area of ​​30 meters.
How did that happen?
How it came to the accident is still being determined. For seven years, 2,750 tons of unsecured ammonium nitrate have been stored in the port. This is used for the production of fertilizers, but also for explosives. The decomposition of the chemical can cause an explosion at high temperatures. According to reports from the Lebanese state news agency NNA, a fire had broken out in the warehouse at the port with the ammonium nitrate, which ultimately triggered the explosion. According to other reports, the first explosion occurred in a fireworks warehouse. 16 port workers were provisionally arrested on suspicion of arson.
Security experts from the Lebanese government are said to have warned of the devastating consequences of an ammonium nitrate explosion in July. That is why the people of Lebanon largely blame their own government for the disaster. The country’s economic and political situation deteriorated further as a result of the explosions, and the health system is also badly affected. The Lebanese government has already resigned.