2020 Beirut explosion

On 4 August 2020, a major explosion occurred in <a href="/facts/Beirut/0sxJRAqW">Beirut</a>, <a href="/facts/Lebanon/2dReTXyp">Lebanon</a>, triggered by the ignition of 2,750 tonnes of <a href="/facts/Ammonium_nitrate/aSc96wBX">ammonium nitrate</a>. The chemical, confiscated in 2014 from the cargo ship <a href="/facts/MV_Rhosus/6burgQwS">MV Rhosus</a> and stored at the <a href="/facts/Port_of_Beirut/pm7gdYHs">Port of Beirut</a> without adequate safety measures for six years, detonated after a fire broke out in a nearby warehouse. The explosion resulted in at least 218 fatalities, 7,000 injuries, and approximately 300,000 displaced individuals, alongside property damage estimated at US$15 billion. The blast released energy comparable to 1.1 <a href="/facts/TNT_equivalent/nEQ5z8mp">kilotons of TNT</a>, ranking it among the <a href="/facts/Largest_artificial_non-nuclear_explosions/DXj8nBto">most powerful non-nuclear explosions ever recorded</a> and the largest single detonation of ammonium nitrate.
The explosion generated a <a href="/facts/Earthquake/NGjIzagw">seismic event</a> measuring 3.3 in magnitude, as reported by the <a href="/facts/United_States_Geological_Survey/nVaGtMjl">United States Geological Survey</a>. Its effects were felt in Lebanon and neighboring regions, including <a href="/facts/Syria/7pDXGzq8">Syria</a>, <a href="/facts/Israel/dEe3IcaY">Israel</a>, and <a href="/facts/Cyprus/t9wL6lVK">Cyprus</a>, over 240 km (150 mi) away. Scientific studies noted that the shockwave temporarily disrupted Earth's <a href="/facts/Ionosphere/mT9tTBE5">ionosphere</a>. Adjacent grain <a href="/facts/Silo/ljuNaAwV">silos</a> at the Port of Beirut sustained major damage. Portions of the silos collapsed in July and August 2022 following fires caused by remaining grain stocks.
The <a href="/facts/Lebanese_government/Y1qVlS5H">Lebanese government</a> declared a two-week <a href="/facts/State_of_emergency/YYWgKFPq">state of emergency</a> in response to the disaster. Protests, which had been <a href="/facts/17_October_Revolution/Ku3aK57p">ongoing since 2019</a>, grew in scale, leading to the resignation of <a href="/facts/Prime_Minister_of_Lebanon/xXaK59vl">Prime Minister</a> <a href="/facts/Hassan_Diab/f4LCcFeH">Hassan Diab</a> and <a href="/facts/Cabinet_of_Hassan_Diab/xjMXvWRT">his cabinet</a> on 10 August 2020. Claims surfaced suggesting <a href="/facts/Hezbollah/HRhTo2rI">Hezbollah</a>'s possible connection to the explosion, citing unverified reports of weapons stored at the site. Hezbollah denied the allegations but participated in demonstrations opposing the official investigation.

2020 Beirut explosion open-in-new

2020 Beirut explosion