‘No Words’: After Enormous Explosion Rips Beirut, A Search For Answers

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An aerial view of Beirut’s port one day after a massive explosion rocked the Lebanese capital. Tuesday’s blast flattened much of the city’s port and damaged buildings across the city.

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Bilal Hussein/AP

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Ammonium nitrate is the same raw material Timothy McVeigh used to bomb the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995. In that deadly attack, just two tons of the fertilizer were used. The Beirut port was holding an estimated 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate, Aoun said.

The explosion «disfigured Beirut» and «shocked the whole world,» the president said. Lebanon’s flag is now flying at half-staff at Baabda Palace and other government buildings.

Health officials said the blast killed at least 100 people and wounded more than 4,000. The city’s governor told local media that the blast, which was heard over 50 miles away, has «destroyed more than half the Lebanese capital.» Hundreds of people have been left homeless, he said. The blast was so strong that it was felt in Cyprus, more than 100 miles away in the Mediterranean Sea.

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Lebanese soldiers search for survivors on Wednesday, one day after a massive explosion in Beirut.

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Hassan Ammar/AP

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Satellite Images Show Aftermath Of Beirut Blast

Even before the explosion, Lebanon already had more than its share of calamities. An extended economic crisis has thrown its currency into a freefall, a situation worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Protesters have been demonstrating for months, upset by the struggle to obtain basic necessities and frustrated with the political oligarchy that oversees it all. Tuesday’s explosion is sure to sharpen that anger and fuel accusations that Lebanon’s government is too inept, too corrupt — or a dangerous mix of the two — to serve its people.

The government has set up an investigative committee to determine who is responsible for the decisions that led to storing tons of ammonium nitrate in a warehouse without taking enough safety or preventive measures to prevent Tuesday’s catastrophe.

«Facts about this dangerous warehouse» have been known for at least six years, Prime Minister Hassan Diab said as he pledged full accountability for anyone found responsible.

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The Cabinet has ordered that anyone involved in the storing of the ammonium nitrate at the port be placed under house arrest. It wasn’t clear how many port employees the decision might affect.

An essential question looms over the investigation into the stockpile of ammonium nitrate: Why was it there?

The chemical is widely used in fertilizers, but also to make explosives and barrel bombs. Some have speculated that the supply may have been part of Hezbollah’s bomb-making arsenal. An investigation is underway to find the exact trigger for the explosion. Lebanon’s Supreme Defense Council says those responsible will face the «maximum punishment» possible.

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Women walk past a damaged building in the aftermath of Tuesday’s blast that tore through Lebanon’s capital on Wednesday. Rescuers searched for survivors in Beirut after a explosion killed more than 100 people and wounded thousands.

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Anwar Amro/AFP via Getty Images

Women walk past a damaged building in the aftermath of Tuesday’s blast that tore through Lebanon’s capital on Wednesday. Rescuers searched for survivors in Beirut after a explosion killed more than 100 people and wounded thousands.

Anwar Amro/AFP via Getty Images

Citing reports that the catastrophe may displace more than 300,000 people, UNICEF said it is working to provide aid and support, particularly to children who were among the casualties or have lost loved ones.

«We wish a speedy recovery to the injured,» said Yukie Mokuo, the UNICEF representative in Lebanon, in a statement issued Wednesday.

«UNICEF’s team in Beirut has not been spared,» Mokuo added. «One of our colleagues lost his spouse, seven of our staff were mildly injured and dozens of personnel’s homes were damaged. Most of our staff — as are most people in Lebanon — are in a state of shock.»

Drone footage taken above the port area following #BeirutBlast shows complete and utter devastation of the facility pic.twitter.com/EWCEBBkBWo

— Riam Dalati (@Dalatrm) August 5, 2020

Within hours of the blast, leaders of other countries offered their condolences – and crucially, medical and emergency support.

France’s President Emmanuel Macron, among the first to offer help, says he will visit Beirut on Thursday. France is also sending two military planes to its former colony, bringing emergency doctors along with 15 tons of medical equipment and a mobile health center, according to Lebanon’s state news agency.

Jordan is also sending a military field hospital; Egypt says it has set one up already in Beirut. Russia has pledged five planeloads of aid and support workers.

To help with rescue and recovery efforts, Poland, Greece and the Czech Republic are among many countries sending workers and sniffer dogs to help dig through the rubble in search of the missing.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said it has sent emergency medical supplies to 12 hospitals in and around Beirut. The tragedy quickly overwhelmed ambulance and hospital services on Tuesday, and officials have repeatedly urged people to donate blood to help care for the wounded.

• Lebanon
• Beirut