2020 Beirut explosion

A catastrophic explosion at Beirut’s port on August 4, 2020, caused by the detonation of improperly stored ammonium nitrate. It killed more than 200 people and devastated large parts of the city.

Ammonium nitrate: An inorganic salt used mainly in fertilizers and explosives that can intensify fire and detonate under hazardous conditions. Thousands of tonnes stored at the port supplied the explosive material.
MV Rhosus: A cargo ship that brought ammonium nitrate to Beirut in 2013 and was later abandoned there. Its cargo became the stockpile that remained in the port until 2020.
Beirut blast damage: The physical destruction caused across Beirut by the August 2020 explosion. The blast damaged homes, businesses, hospitals, and port facilities across the city.
Beirut explosion crater: The large crater left at Beirut’s port by the 2020 explosion. Its size and location recorded the blast’s force at the source.
Tarek Bitar: A Lebanese judge appointed to lead the investigation into the 2020 Beirut explosion. His investigation faced political obstruction and repeated legal challenges.
Detonation: A supersonic chemical reaction front that releases energy through an explosive material. The stored ammonium nitrate underwent the rapid reaction that produced the blast.
2013 Beirut port seizure: The detention of the MV Rhosus and its ammonium nitrate cargo in Beirut in 2013. This event began the cargo’s prolonged storage at the port.
Beirut port explosion casualties: The deaths and injuries caused by the 2020 Beirut explosion. The disaster killed more than 200 people and injured thousands.
Beirut blast shock wave: The pressure wave that traveled outward from the port during the 2020 explosion. Its effects were visible in widespread structural damage and recorded by witnesses.
Fadi Sawan: A Lebanese judge who initially led the investigation into the 2020 Beirut explosion. His removal from the case became an early dispute over the investigation’s independence.

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American University of BeirutRelated: The blast damaged AUB’s medical center and intensified its emergency response role.