[News] Major explosion in Beirut

[Easy 10]

Agree with all of that. On last night's episode I found the relationship of almost mutual respect between Saddam (after he was captured) and the US soldier guarding him during his trial strangely compelling.

Had to be a Texan, didn't it. Yee-haw to the murderous dictator, boy.

The ISIS foot-soldier who was still all-in for stoning a woman to death for being out and about without a burqa. And the guy who escaped a mass grave shooting by ISIS. Every episode had a story that just left me slack-jawed. The mainstream news just does not come close to conveying the reality and the complexities like programmes like this can.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Horrific


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[portslade seagull]

Reported to be a fireworks factory?

No way that was fireworks

 

[S'hampton Seagull]

No way that was fireworks

Agreed. An accident at a secret arms factory is not so politically acceptable

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[vegster]

Out of interest why do you disbelieve it ? I’m finding the BBC coverage a bit strange. They are reporting it as an accident in a fireworks factory but seem a little disappointed . Currently asking passers by if it reminds them of past explosions.

I'm no expert but it really is a massive explosion after a fire and lots of smaller explosions. I was always led to believe that munitions and the raw materials to make them, are usually stored in small compartmentalised lots so that if there is a problem you don't get a massive single explosion. This seems too large to be any sort of anti-regime car or lorry bomb but more like the impact of a specialised bomb in the form of a Bunker buster that triggers multiple explosives on the ground instantly.

"Fireworks" being detonated is a pretty obviously lame excuse given that Syria has had nothing to celebrate for the last 10 years or so. If you are fighting a civil war its pretty nailed on that the regime won't be diverting their manufacturing capacity towards building a stockpile of Roman Candles and Jumping Jacks.

 

[dsr-burnley]

I'm no expert but it really is a massive explosion after a fire and lots of smaller explosions. I was always led to believe that munitions and the raw materials to make them, are usually stored in small compartmentalised lots so that if there is a problem you don't get a massive single explosion. This seems too large to be any sort of anti-regime car or lorry bomb but more like the impact of a specialised bomb in the form of a Bunker buster that triggers multiple explosives on the ground instantly.

"Fireworks" being detonated is a pretty obviously lame excuse given that Syria has had nothing to celebrate for the last 10 years or so. If you are fighting a civil war its pretty nailed on that the regime won't be diverting their manufacturing capacity towards building a stockpile of Roman Candles and Jumping Jacks.

Beirut is in Lebanon

 

[Gully Forever]

Firework factories don't normally flatten buildings 3 blocks away

 

[vegster]

Beirut is in Lebanon

Good point, I was thinking this was tied in to the Syrian conflict one way or another though.

 

[Gully Forever]

probably a munitions cache from heavy weapons.

 

[WATFORD zero]

Jesus, that is horrendous.

As a side note, if you've not yet watched Once Upon a Time In Iraq, you really should. 5-parter an hour a piece on BBC iPlayer, an in-depth study of the invasion of Iraq from start to finish and the aftermath, from the viewpoint of journalists, photographers, victims, soldiers, a commanding officer and many more. People who were there on the ground, and footage you just don't see on the news. Some of the stuff from Mosul and Fallujah...well. And the interview with a captured ISIS grunt...bloody hell.

Essential viewing.

I think, whatever happened, as is always the case, the vast majority of fatalities/injuries will be entirely innocent

The trouble is, the more you watch, the more you realise how little you know. Excellent series, but I'm always trying to remind myself of who is making it and what their interests are. (As I say, Excellent series, but everyone has an angle). I do believe I could study this for the next 10 years and only be scratching the surface

 

[Hugo Rune]

Wow! That is horrific.
I hope the casualties are minimal.

There seems to have been a significant fire burning there prior to the blast, I’m preying that a mass evacuation ensued before the explosion.

 

[WATFORD zero]

No way that was fireworks

So tell me, what is the expert view of the reasons behind this from portslade

 

[Juan Albion]

You have to love NSC. A simple forum of football fans - and it always turns out we have experts on so many obscure subjects among our number.

 

[Acker79]

[tweet]1290694570561482752[/tweet]

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

I'm no expert but it really is a massive explosion after a fire and lots of smaller explosions. I was always led to believe that munitions and the raw materials to make them, are usually stored in small compartmentalised lots so that if there is a problem you don't get a massive single explosion. This seems too large to be any sort of anti-regime car or lorry bomb but more like the impact of a specialised bomb in the form of a Bunker buster that triggers multiple explosives on the ground instantly.

"Fireworks" being detonated is a pretty obviously lame excuse given that Syria has had nothing to celebrate for the last 10 years or so. If you are fighting a civil war its pretty nailed on that the regime won't be diverting their manufacturing capacity towards building a stockpile of Roman Candles and Jumping Jacks.

I seem to remember a large explosion in a fireworks factory up north here a few years ago. A massive explosion and fatalities only low because it was at night and on an industrial estate.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Wasn't there one at Ringer a little while back?

 

[Gabbafella]

There seems to have been a significant fire burning there prior to the blast, I’m preying that a mass evacuation ensued before the explosion.

Roads were still open and very busy prior to the large explosion. The link to Twitter via the BBC website shows the explosion from multiple angles, the shockwave looked catastrophic for several blocks at least. People reporting shattered windows in Cyprus!
I hope you're right and that a mass evacuation was already well underway though.

 

[SeagullinExile]

Looks like the port area, might be the Israelis taking out an arms shipment?

Or Israel murdering innocent civilians....again.

 

[tip top]

That's my annual fireworks extravaganza in the back garden ****ed then if the kids see that

In all seriousness, hopefully not as bad as it looks but that does look horrendous.

 

[Is it PotG?]

Or Israel murdering innocent civilians....again.

Wow, nice jump.