Beirut - Bruised. Bloodied. Broken.

An Overview of The Events That Occurred:

(Scroll down for a more in-depth explanation and analysis)

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Detailed Explanation of The Tragic Events That Occurred:

On August 4th, 2020, a blast shook Beirut like never before, leaving hundreds dead and thousands wounded. At 6:08 PM (Local Time), an explosion the size of a 3.5 Magnitude earthquake shook Beirut, destroying buildings and obliterating homes and the lives of families on its way. Millions in and around the city tightly embraced their loved ones. They grabbed whatever possible, as they felt the ground tremble, buildings shudder, and saw their lives get turned upside down right in front of their very own eyes. A feeling so chilling, everyone wondered what would happen. Thousands of kids called out in distress for their mothers, hoping to find the loving arms that they once felt. This is the story of a city that lost more than it should have. A city that has been slowly weakened and has fallen into disrepair, but the government still doesn't care. This is the story of Beirut, a city rattled by an explosion that never should have happened.

When news of the explosion took to the internet, people worldwide heard the horrifying news, many with their theories. Some said it was a bombing, and some said it was a terrorist attack, while others were still in dismay, just trying to grasp what had happened. The news quickly filled people from all over the world with fear. Fear that another attack was coming, and fear that this was just the beginning. Stories spread from one person to another, slowly creating something more significant and more prominent, until there were stories, so fake, that they are utterly unbelievable.

Reality is that the Beirut explosion was not a terrorist attack and was not a bombing. Although the exact cause of the explosion remains undetermined, here is what experts say has happened:

In November of 2013, a Russian-Owned vessel stopped in Beirut, while it was on its way from Georgia to Mozambique. The ship initially made its way to Beirut to pick up some heavy cargo for the trip while maintaining its load of 2750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate (or about 6,062,712 pounds). The vessel had a small hole in its hull, which meant that the crew had to continually pump out water, which would make its way through the hole. Long story short, the cargo didn't fit, but the Lebanese officials felt that the ship was unseaworthy and wouldn't let it go. Additionally, since the crew could not pay the port fees and other charges, port officials impounded the vessel. The officials allowed some crew members to leave; however, the port officials forbade the rest of the crew from leaving the ship, unless they figured out how to pay the fees.

In August of 2014, The captain sold some of the ship's fuel to pay for lawyers, who made it clear to Lebanese authorities that the ship can blow up or sink at any moment. A Lebanese judge would then let the remaining crew of the vessel go back to Ukraine on compassionate grounds. The ship, on the other hand, sat abandoned. Eventually, officials decided to unload the ship's cargo (ammonium nitrate) into hanger 12 - one of the port's several hangers.

The MV Rhosus - The vessel responsible for carrying the 2750 tons of ammonium nitrate, said to have caused the explosion.

Image Credit: EPA/TONY VRAILAS/MARINETRAFFIC.COM

From 2014 to 2017, Senior customs officials wrote to the courts at least six times, asking for guidance on how to dispose of the ammonium nitrate or what to do with it. The customs officials would eventually propose a series of solutions on what to do with it, including donating it to the local army, selling it to explosives companies, etc. However, the judiciary failed to respond to any of the 6 (or possibly more) requests from the officials.

On August 4th, 2020, the ammonium nitrate that sat idle in Hanger 12 for nearly six years, exploded. The exact cause of the explosion remains undetermined; however, here is what we can tell you:

At around 6 PM, a small fire started in either hanger 12 or one of the hangers near it, eventually spreading to the pile of ammonium nitrate. The fire would eventually turn into a mini-explosion spreading enormous fumes of smoke and debris above and around the port. Around 30 seconds later, a significant explosion the size of a magnitude 3.5 Earthquake struck a city of millions with fear and shock. This blast would go on to kill hundreds and wound thousands in and around Beirut. The impact closest to the explosion was horrifying, with buildings being completely disintegrated and torn to shreds. Additionally, other structures, which were over 15 miles away from the blast, reported having their windows blown out, with lots of damage. Some compared the explosion to a mini nuclear bomb going off, while others are still trying to grasp what happened and are trying to get a grip on their lives again.

Footage showing the rapid escalation of events.

Credit: The Sun (News Agency)

Throughout Beirut and the rest of the world, many horrific stories from survivors continue to spread. Locals are left trying to clean up debris and find those buried beneath the rubble, barely clinging to life. Thousands lost their homes and are now on the streets, in the hard times of an economic crisis. According to personal stories, the government has now rationed electricity in some parts of Beirut. But the worst part is that all of this happened during a global pandemic. What could this mean for the COVID-19 cases in Beirut? Considering that the blast destroyed 17 containers filled to the brim with hundreds of thousands of masks, gowns, gloves, and other essential PPE for medical workers, only time will tell. Recently, Beruit has been relying on food imports to feed its population. During the explosion, all of the grain stored at the ports' main silos got destroyed. Unfortunately, the city heavily depends on the ports' silos and does not have any other major ones spread throughout the city, which means that there might be temporary (hopefully nothing long term) issues getting essential grain to the public.

Picture of a Lebanese Army Official walking on, what is now rendered, inedible grain, which had fallen out of the now broken grain silos (at the port [where the explosion occurred]).

After the shock of the explosion, residents started getting furious at the government as it had several years to sort out a tiny problem but chose to ignore it; now, hundreds of thousands of innocent people are paying the price.

With so many lives lost and people injured, rescue workers are struggling to effectively and efficiently get through debris to rescue those in need. On an average day, the overall situation in Lebanon is bad enough, but now of all times, Lebanon desperately needs the world's help.

Just knowing that you can help is the first step in helping get Lebanon back on its feet. Multiple charities and organizations are supporting Lebanon and helping with local relief efforts, all of which desperately need monetary support. When donating, one thing to keep in mind is to donate mostly to organizations that accept monetarily steady currencies such as USD, EUR, CAD, etc. We ask that you do not give in local currencies such as LBP or Lebanese Pound(s), as they are known to fluctuate without notice drastically.

Here are a few organizations operating in Lebanon that you should consider donating to:

The Lebanese Red Cross: Humanitarian organization and the leading provider of ambulance services in Lebanon.

The United Nations' World Food Program: Supplies food to people made homeless after the blast.

Humanity and Inclusion: Nongovernmental organization focusing on post-surgical therapy in Beirut following the explosion

Another thing that you can help with is spreading awareness and supporting those in need, whether this is in the form of donations or general hospitality. Even the smallest of things can make the most significant difference.