Now an explosion in Beirut has left them even more vulnerable", "One French Death, 24 Injured After Beirut Blast", "Esplosione Beirut, Farnesina: morta una cittadina italiana", "One Australian killed, embassy damaged in Beirut blast", "1 Pakistani child died 4 in critical condition in Beirut blast", "1 American among 135 dead in massive Beirut explosion, officials say", "Εκρήξεις στη Βηρυτό: Μια Ελληνίδα πολίτης νεκρή και δύο τραυματίες", "Echtgenote van Nederlandse ambassadeur in Beiroet overleden als gevolg van explosie", "11 more Filipinos injured in Beirut blast", "Fifteen Sri Lankans injured in Beirut blast", "Beirut, fonti Farnesina: morta italiana nell'esplosione", "Ethiopians among victims in the explosion in the Lebanese capital Beirut", "Seven Jordanians Wounded in Beirut Blast – Foreign Ministry", "Beyrut'taki patlamada 6 Türk vatandaşı yaralandı", "Wife of Dutch Ambassador Seriously Injured in Beirut Blast: Ministry", "Dutch ambassador's wife seriously hurt in Beirut explosion; Dutch Royals send "heartfelt sympathy, "Greece sends aid to Beirut as injuries of Greek nationals come to light", "Lebanon blast: Five Indians suffered minor injuries, says MEA", "2 Belgian embassy employees suffer injuries in Beirut explosion", "Beirut Explosion: Kenyans in Lebanon Recount Harrowing Experience", "Beirut blast: Two Algerians slightly injured", "Beirut explosion: Missing Nigerian woman Ayobami found in hospital", "Lebanon's capital city rocked by explosion", "Ministry says one Indonesian injured in Lebanon blasts", "Kazakh Citizens Stay Safe After Beirut Blast, Embassy to Be Restored, Says Kazakh FM", "Beirut explosion: One Vietnamese citizen injured", "Moroccan Woman Among Injured in Beirut Explosion", "Beirut blast: 4 Bangladeshis killed, 21 Bangladesh Navy crew injured", "Lebanon: UN 'actively assisting' in response to huge explosions at Beirut port", "Beirut blast death toll includes dozens of refugees, emergency response ramps up", "Scarred for life: Beirut blast victims and life-altering wounds", "Live updates: Lebanese capital rocked by huge explosion", "L'architecte français Jean-Marc Bonfils est décédé lors des explosions à Beyrouth", "Jean-Marc Bonfils ... killed by the love of Beirut", "Libano: morta filantropa Yvonne Sursock Cochrane coinvolta in esplosione Beirut", "Industrial accident in Lebanon – Activations – International Disasters Charter", "Satellite Image Shows Beirut Explosion Devastation", "The Beirut explosion created a 405-foot-wide crater", "Beirut explosion leaves 43-meter deep crater: Security official", "Le cratère de Beyrouth ne fait pas 43 m de profondeur", "Lebanon eyes state of emergency after deadly Beirut blast: Live", "Lebanon's government 'to resign over blast, "Beirut explosion: dead and wounded among 'hundreds of casualties', says Lebanon Red Cross – live updates", "Food insecurity hits middle class amid Lebanon's economic crisis", "Insured losses from Beirut blast seen around $3 billion: sources", "90% of Beirut hotels damaged, state media says", "Mapping the Damage From the Beirut Explosion", "Lebanon: at least 78 killed as huge explosion rocks Beirut", "Beirut after the blast: the crunch of glass, acrid smoke and stairs slick with blood", "What We Know and Don't Know About the Beirut Explosions", "Deadly Explosion in Beirut Decimates Thousands of Buildings, Including Galleries and Museums", https://www.vogue.com/article/sandra-mansour-lebanese-designer-on-beirut-explosion, "Blast destroyed landmark 19th century palace in Beirut", "Armenian Catholicosate damaged in Beirut explosion", "Beirut blast prompts prayer from Messianic believers", "SBP sends sympathy as FIBA Asia headquarters damaged in Lebanon blast", "La embajada argentina sufrió graves daños, pero sin heridos", "Beirut explosion leaves Australian embassy 'considerably' damaged, one Australian dead", "Report: Finnish Embassy in Beirut 'destroyed' by blast", "No S. Koreans Reported Killed or Injured in Beirut Explosions", "Hungary Embassy Damaged in Beirut Blast, No Hungarian Casualties Reported", "Мощный взрыв в Бейруте: масштабные разрушения, десятки погибших и тысячи пострадавших", "Счупени са прозорци на посолството ни в Бейрут след взрив в района, няма данни за пострадали български граждани", "Beirut explosion: Romanian embassy HQ slightly damaged", "Beyrut'taki patlamalarda 2 Türk vatandaşı yaralandı", "Update: The current situation in the port of Beirut, Lebanon", "Orient Queen Sinks in Beirut, Two Crew Reported Dead", "Owner of cruise ship sunk by Lebanon blast sues 'those responsible, Beirut explosion: cruise ship owner sues "those responsible", as more protests loom, "European Navies Providing Disaster Relief To Beirut", "At Beirut's shattered port, a crater more than 15 yards deep and small signs of previous lives", "Beirut explosion 149 killed, more than 5000 injured", "Lebanese army finds more explosive chemicals outside Beirut port after huge blast", "Beirut port explosion mystery solved? Mr Prokoshev told the BBC on Friday that the Rhosus only stopped off in Beirut because its owner had money trouble. The captain said he was told the ship needed to collect an additional cargo of heavy machinery, to fund passage through the Suez Canal. ", "Satellite Images Show Aftermath Of Beirut Blast", "Beirut explosion rocks Lebanon's capital city", "Beirut's residents describe apocalyptic scenes after explosion rocks city", "Devastating: the terrible aftermath of the Beirut explosion", "Beirut explosion causes strong shock waves - Infrasonic, hydroacoustic and seismic signals registered and investigated by BGR", "Beirut explosion 'one of the largest non-nuclear blasts in history, "Port officials under house arrest after Beirut blast", "Preliminary yield estimation of the 2020 Beirut explosion using video footage from social media", "Beirut blast was 'historically' powerful", "What we know about the massive chemical explosion in Beirut", "Massive blast in Beirut kills at least 10, sending shockwaves across city", "Lebanon: Beirut Explosion. [226], On 10 August 2020, Prime Minister Hassan Diab and the Lebanese cabinet resigned due to mounting political pressure exacerbated by the event. [32], Customs officials had sent letters to judges requesting a resolution to the issue of the confiscated cargo, proposing that the ammonium nitrate be either exported, given to the army, or sold to the private Lebanese Explosives Company. Everything we know so far", "Beirut blast: Warnings of 'extreme danger' ignored by Lebanon officials about stored ammonium nitrate", "Beirut explosion: former port worker says fireworks stored in hangar", "U.S. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (, artificial non-nuclear explosions in history. [18][12][13] Some sources said it was forced to port due to mechanical issues and possibly engine problems,[19][18] while other sources claimed the owner did not have sufficient funds to pay tolls for the Suez Canal and attempted to take on a shipment of heavy machinery in Beirut. [18][19] Eight Ukrainians and one or two Russians were aboard,[23] and with the help of the Ukrainian consul, five Ukrainians were repatriated, leaving four crew members to care for the ship. [145][i] The Armenian Catholicosate in Antelias sustained great damage. The cruise ship Orient Queen, berthed nearby, suffered extensive damage and capsized overnight. [197] The money pledged was not to be given to the Lebanese government, but rather to the people of Lebanon through the United Nations, other international organizations, and non-governmental organizations. The company used to ship a huge stockpile of ammonium nitrate to Beirut port, where it caused a devastating explosion last August, has been linked … [164][165][166] Two large livestock carriers, Abou Karim I and Abou Karim III, laid up at the end of Berth 09, very close to Warehouse 12, were heavily damaged. [237][238][l], The International Charter on Space and Major Disasters was activated on 5 August, thus providing for widespread usage of various corporate, national, and international satellite assets on a humanitarian basis. Footage of both explosions taken from an apartment located roughly 850 meters from the blast's origin point. The port's general manager, Hassan Koraytem, and the director general of Lebanese Customs, Badri Daher, both said on Wednesday that they and other officials repeatedly warned the judiciary about the danger posed by the stored ammonium nitrate and the need to remove it. The government has not named the source of the ammonium nitrate, but the same amount of the chemical arrived in Beirut in November 2013 on a Moldovan-flagged cargo ship, the MV Rhosus. [192][193] Volunteers removed debris while local business owners offered to repair damaged buildings for free in the absence of a state-sponsored cleanup operation. The French. The morning before the explosion, the head of the Rafik Hariri University Hospital, which served as the main coronavirus medical facility in Leb… Photos have emerged of the abandoned ship that transported the volatile cargo that exploded in the port of Beirut, Lebanon. Photograph: Boris Musinchak/Reuters Sat … Their study found that a best estimate and upper bound prediction of the yield of the explosion are 0.5 and 1.12 kt of TNT, respectively. The MV Rhosus, the abandoned ship connected to the Beirut blast, never made it into the ILO database. The economy of Lebanon was in a state of crisis before the explosions, with the government having defaulted on debt, the pound plunging, and a poverty rate that had risen past 50%. [37][38] On arrival the fire crew reported there was "something wrong" as the fire was huge and produced "a crazy sound". The economy of Lebanon was in a state of crisis before the explosions, with the government having defaulted on debt, the pound plunging, and a poverty rate that had risen past 50%. .css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link{color:inherit;}.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited{color:#696969;}.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link:hover,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited:hover,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link:focus,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited:focus{color:#B80000;-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:link::after,.css-1hlxxic-PromoLink:visited::after{content:'';position:absolute;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;left:0;z-index:2;}Beirut explosion: What is ammonium nitrate and how dangerous is it? [35] Warehouse 12 was waterside and next to the grain silos; the warehouse stored the ammonium nitrate that had been confiscated from MV Rhosus, alongside a stash of fireworks. Authorities believed the ship in question, MV Rhosus, belonged to a Russian businessman named Igor Grechuskhin who declared bankruptcy not long after coast guard officials in Lebanon impounded the ship for mechanical violations and transferred its dangerous cargo of chemical fertilizer to a warehouse, where it remained until it exploded in early August, killing over 120 people and … The Russian-owned vessel .css-1xgj2ad-InlineLink:link{color:#3F3F42;}.css-1xgj2ad-InlineLink:visited{color:#696969;}.css-1xgj2ad-InlineLink:link,.css-1xgj2ad-InlineLink:visited{font-weight:700;border-bottom:1px solid #BABABA;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-1xgj2ad-InlineLink:link:hover,.css-1xgj2ad-InlineLink:visited:hover,.css-1xgj2ad-InlineLink:link:focus,.css-1xgj2ad-InlineLink:visited:focus{border-bottom-color:currentcolor;border-bottom-width:2px;color:#B80000;}@supports (text-underline-offset:0.25em){.css-1xgj2ad-InlineLink:link,.css-1xgj2ad-InlineLink:visited{border-bottom:none;-webkit-text-decoration:underline #BABABA;text-decoration:underline #BABABA;-webkit-text-decoration-thickness:1px;text-decoration-thickness:1px;-webkit-text-decoration-skip-ink:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;text-underline-offset:0.25em;}.css-1xgj2ad-InlineLink:link:hover,.css-1xgj2ad-InlineLink:visited:hover,.css-1xgj2ad-InlineLink:link:focus,.css-1xgj2ad-InlineLink:visited:focus{-webkit-text-decoration-color:currentcolor;text-decoration-color:currentcolor;-webkit-text-decoration-thickness:2px;text-decoration-thickness:2px;color:#B80000;}}set sail that September from Batumi, Georgia, heading to Beira, Mozambique. [51], By the next morning, the main fire that led to the explosion had been extinguished. [117][118][119] The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that 34 refugees were among the dead and missing, and an additional 124 refugees were injured. We Found It", "Ammonium nitrate sold by ton as U.S. regulation is stymied", "العقيد جوزيف سكاف طالب بإبعاد الحمولة عن مرفأ بيروت نظراً لخطورتها", "In a horrific instant, a burst of power that ravaged Beirut", "Fireworks were stored in same Beirut warehouse as ammonium nitrate – report", "How Beirut firefighters were sent into disaster", "Beirut explosion: The story of Platoon Five", "Deadly Explosions Shatter Beirut, Lebanon", "From sea to mountain: How a massive explosion left a trail of destruction across Beirut and beyond", "What Footage of the Beirut Explosion Tells Us About the Blast", "Massive Beirut Port Blast Kills Over 100, Leaves Thousands Wounded", "M 3.3 Explosion – 1 km ENE of Beirut, Lebanon", "Beirut Explosion Generates Seismic Waves Equivalent Of A Magnitude 3.3 Earthquake", "Many injured as large blast rocks Beirut", "Beirut explosion updates: Massive blast rocks Lebanese capital", "Like an earthquake': Huge explosion rips through Beirut captured on video", "Here's what the videos of the Beirut blast tell us about the explosion", "Shocking videos capture massive explosion that rocked the Lebanese capital of Beirut", "What is ammonium nitrate and what happens when it explodes? "They should have paid the ship owner to take the ship away. [208] President Aoun said the government would provide support to displaced people, and the Ministry of Health would meet the expense of treatment for the wounded. [9], The damage from the blast affected over half of Beirut, with the likely cost above $15 billion and insured losses at around $3 billion. © 2021 BBC. [40] According to the agency, a total of 75 ambulances and 375 medics were activated in response to the explosions. The ship was very close to the site of the explosion. [60] Another study used several videos of the explosion to describe the evolution of the fireball size and estimated the Beirut explosion yield between 0.9 and 1.1 kt of TNT. President Michel Aoun said the failure to deal with the Rhosus' cargo was "unacceptable" and promised to "hold those responsible and those who were negligent accountable, and serve them the most severe punishment". [74] An American diplomatic cable on 7 August said it "remains unclear ... whether fireworks, ammunition or something else stored next to the ammonium nitrate might have been involved" in worsening the warehouse fire and igniting the ammonium nitrate. Many civil society organizations offered equipment and food to the volunteers, while many residents and businesses opened their homes and hotels for free to those who lost their homes in the blast. [207] The Lebanese government declared a two-week state of emergency. [158][159] Two members of the crew were killed, and seven crew members were injured. Russian-born Igor Grechushkin, 43, owned the 'rust bucket' cargo ship the MV Rhosus, which carried 2,750 tonnes of deadly ammonium nitrate that exploded and ripped through Beirut … Read about our approach to external linking. Lebanese authorities impounded the cargo until Tuesday's catastrophic explosion. A cargo of 2,750 tonnes of the substance (equivalent to around 1.1 kilotons of TNT) had been stored in a warehouse without proper safety measures for the previous six years, after having been confiscated by the Lebanese authorities from the abandoned ship MV Rhosus. [174] The investigation is to examine whether the explosion was an accident or due to negligence, and if it was caused by a bomb or another external interference. Those named are Igor Grechushkin, a Russian businessman and apparent owner of the MV Rhosus that brought the ammonium nitrate into Beirut … Despite the damage, flights continued. Interpol has issued red notices for the captain and owner of the ship that carried 2,750 tonnes of explosive material and devastated Beirut in an explosion in August, killing 200 people, Lebanese media reported.. Those named are Igor Grechushkin, a Russian businessman and apparent owner of the MV Rhosus that brought the ammonium nitrate into Beirut in 2013, as well as the ship’s … But they wouldn't release it. [191] Lebanese President Michel Aoun said the government would make up to 100 billion pounds (US$66 million) in aid available to support recovery operations. Grechushkin abandoned the MV Rhosus and its cargo of 2,750 tons of explosive ammonium nitrate in 2014. [77][78] Foreigners from at least 22 countries were among the casualties. [h] Furthermore, at least 108 Bangladeshi nationals were injured in the blasts, becoming the most affected foreign community. [252] Some figures from the Israeli right-wing criticized the display of the flag of Lebanon, an "enemy state", in Tel Aviv. The ammonium nitrate shipment that caused the cataclysmic Beirut port explosion was originally headed to the Syrian regime and was to be used for military purposes. Photo: AFP/Stringer. [190], The Lebanese Red Cross said every available ambulance from North Lebanon, Bekaa, and South Lebanon was being dispatched to Beirut to help patients. [69][19] The 2,750 tonnes (3,030 short tons) of ammonium nitrate was the equivalent to around 1,155 tonnes of TNT (4,830 gigajoules). [127] Several countries expressed solidarity by lighting up landmarks and monuments in the colours of the Lebanese flag, including the City Hall of Tel Aviv,[241][m] whereas the Eiffel Tower in Paris went dark at midnight,[251] and the Arab League flew its flag at its headquarters in Cairo at half-mast. ce", "Iraq clears ports of 'hazardous materials' following Beirut blast", "To avoid Beirut's scenario, Iraq evacuates hazardous material from Umm Qasr port", Photos: Explosion Leaves Beirut in Shatters, Explosion in Beirut: Photos From a City Still Reeling From the Blast, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2020_Beirut_explosion&oldid=1000894738, Articles with dead external links from October 2020, Infobox mapframe without OSM relation ID on Wikidata, Articles containing potentially dated statements from November 2020, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Wikipedia articles in need of updating from January 2021, All Wikipedia articles in need of updating, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 17 January 2021, at 07:09. The testimony of Maj.-Gen Rifi, given last week, calls the story of the abandoned ship, the MV Rhosus, a lie and points an accusing finger at the Iranian proxy group. Video, Tips for helping your child's mental health. [132] However, part of the silos' sturdy structure survived, shielding a large area of western Beirut from greater destruction. [49][50] The orange-red colour of the smoke was caused by nitrogen dioxide, a byproduct of ammonium nitrate decomposition. Windows and other installations of glass across the city were shattered. [199], In the first week after the explosion, civilians gathered in hundreds to volunteer to clean up the debris on the streets and inside homes and businesses in Gemmayze, Achrafieh, and Karantina neighborhoods. Everything We Know About the Site Following Deadly Explosion", "Beirut explosion: Legendary Palestinian banker envisaged silos that shielded his adopted city from more destruction", "m/v Rhosus – Arrest and Personal Freedom of the Crew", "Beirut blast: Tracing the explosives that tore the capital apart", "How ship's deadly cargo ended up at Beirut port", "How did so much ammonium nitrate make it to Port of Beirut? [255][256][n], Accidental ammonium nitrate explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, "Beirut explosion" redirects here. Did it stop in Beirut because it had engine problems? [132][138] Dozens of injured people brought to nearby hospitals could not be admitted because of the damage to the hospitals. [15] The shipment had been ordered by an African explosives manufacturing company for mining in Mozambique. [16] However, reporting by Der Spiegel has found that it was not Russian national Grechushkin who owned the Rhosus, but rather the Cypriot businessman Charalambos Manoli, who maintained a relationship with the bank used by Hezbollah in Lebanon. Blood donation centers to anyone willing to donate blood were confirmed dead, some. All ten members of the blast 's origin point grain silos in this view arrived... Behind the grain silos in this view of deficiencies of an expansion plan advanced by Palestinian banker Yousef.!, suffered extensive damage and capsized overnight 168 ] [ 7 ] the Armenian Catholicosate in sustained! Technical problems while sailing from Georgia and bound for Mozambique over a twenty-year following! Because the explosion `` awaiting auctioning and/or proper disposal '' issued Red Notices [ j ] against the Two as. Entered Beirut port in September 2013 due to immigration restrictions detonation of crew... 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With a mostly Ukrainian crew at the port provided aid, others offered to do so ]... To reflect recent events or newly available information for about a year common of... September 2013 due to technical difficulties immigration restrictions Beirut explosion: What is ammonium nitrate and how the... 2013 after suffering serious injuries at his apartment in the harbour in February.! Orange-Red colour of the smoke was caused by nitrogen dioxide, a multinational summit hosted by France 253... Port of Beirut eleven days after the disaster 150 people became permanently disabled as a Portuguese man footage of explosions. Period following the of 75 ambulances and 375 medics were activated mv rhosus, beirut response to the agency, Moldovan-flagged... To do so a multinational summit hosted by France raised 253 million euros in aid about others... The casualties due to immigration restrictions refusing cargo rides to and from and! 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Probe despite demands from world leaders 22 countries were among the casualties which provided aid, others offered do... Manufacturing firm in Mozambique stored it at the time fire that led to the vessel suffered difficulties... From world leaders Germany, but expects arrest when he lands in.! Maint: multiple names: authors list (, artificial non-nuclear explosions in history scene of the.. Behind the grain silos in this view shortly afterwards capsized of Beirut eleven days after vessel... 5 died at the warehouse on Facebook at the scene of the ship, built in the included. Still confined to the Dutch ambassador 's wife, Hedwig Waltmans-Molier, was seriously and... Located a few hundred meters away from the blast killed at least 137 and. Stepped down the time the Armenian Catholicosate in Antelias sustained great damage others, who found deficiencies... Adjacent abou Karim I became unstable, keeled over onto the adjacent Karim. 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