On 4 August 2020, a large amount of ammonium nitrate stored at the port of the city of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, exploded, causing at least 190 deaths, 6,500 injuries,US$10–15 billion in property damage, and leaving an estimated 300,000 people homeless.
Around 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. It is not yet known what caused the ammonium nitrate to detonate.
Although an investigation is ongoing, possible causes include a fire in an alleged fireworks warehouse, an attack, or a fire in an ammunition warehouse. The explosion was felt in Turkey, Syria, Israel, Palestine and parts of Europe, and was heard in Cyprus, more than 250 km (160mi) away. It was detected by the United States Geological Survey as a seismic event of magnitude 3.3, and is considered one of the most powerful non-nuclear explosions in history. (Source: Wikipedia)
Every disaster has a human side to the story that impacts individuals and families in a personal way.
In this MYD Global episode we speak with Ahmed Charanek, Co-Founder and Secretary of the Calgary Lebanese Association about how this disaster is impacting members of his own community, and how they are reaching out to help those affected most by this disaster.
For more information on how to help:
Lebanese Food Bank- https://www.facebook.com/Lebfoodbank/
Lebanese Red Cross- http://www.redcross.org.lb/index.aspx...
Calgary Lebanese Association- http://www.calgarylebanese.com/
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