What happened after the Beirut explosion?
The Lebanese government declared a two-week state of emergency in response to the disaster. In its aftermath, protests erupted across Lebanon against the government for their failure to prevent the disaster, joining a larger series of protests which have been taking place across the country since 2019.
How powerful was the explosion in Beirut?
The blast that devastated large parts of Beirut in August was one of the biggest non-nuclear explosions in history, experts say. The Sheffield University, UK, team says a best estimate for the yield is 500 tons of TNT equivalent, with a reasonable upper limit of 1.1 kilotons.
What caused the Beirut explosion 2020?
On 4 August 2020, a large amount of ammonium nitrate stored at the Port of Beirut in the capital city of Lebanon exploded, causing at least 218 deaths, 7,000 injuries, and US$ 15 billion in property damage, and leaving an estimated 300,000 people homeless.
What caused the explosion in Lebanon’s port city?
While the cause of the explosion was not immediately clear, Lebanon’s internal security chief Abbas Ibrahim said the site of the blast in the port area of the city was housing highly explosive materials.
What was the Beirut barracks bombing of 1983?
For the 1983 explosions, see 1983 Beirut barracks bombings. On 4 August 2020, a large amount of ammonium nitrate stored at the Port of Beirut, the capital city of Lebanon, exploded, causing at least 220 deaths, 7,500 injuries, and US$ 15 billion in property damage, and leaving an estimated 300,000 people homeless.
What happened to Beirut’s hospitals?
Before the explosion, hospitals in Beirut were already near capacity, coping with a spike in COVID-19 cases. Across Beirut, and the country as a whole, everyone was already suffering—Lebanese, migrant workers and refugees alike. People were struggling to pay their rent and to buy food to feed their families.