Human consequences
About 300,000 people lose their homes in a single second.
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IndustrialBeirut port explosion
218Deaths
300,000Displaced / homeless
$8bnEstimated cost
- At least 218 dead and more than 6,000 injured.
- World Bank: 3.8 to 4.6 billion dollars in damage and 2.9 to 3.5 billion in losses.
About 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, stored without precautions in a port warehouse since 2014, explode. The shock wave devastates much of the capital.
Consequences
Environmental consequences
A toxic cloud of nitrogen oxides and a crater about 140 m wide.
Economic consequences
The country’s main port and its grain silos are destroyed, in the middle of a financial crisis.
Political consequences
The government resigns; the judicial investigation is repeatedly obstructed by the political class.
Further reading
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- Exxon Valdez oil spillIndustrial · United States1989
In the rankings : The worst industrial and nuclear disasters No. 5
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