Viral image shows impact of massive Beirut explosion if it happened in S'pore

Far-reaching.

Tanya Ong | August 08, 2020, 04:25 PM

A huge explosion sent shock waves across Beirut, Lebanon on Tuesday (Aug. 4).

An image, showing how far-reaching the explosion would have been if it had happened in Singapore's port, has been circulating online.

The image shows three concentric circles coded in yellow, orange, and red to denote the level of destruction emanating from the presumed blast site.

The damage would have been felt from as far as 10km away.

Photo by UpNow Social Worldwide.

It was picked up by Reddit, sparking a discussion on how Singapore would have handled the blow.

It was also shared by UpNow Social Worldwide, a media company, on their Facebook page.

You can see the post here:

Video simulation

The Independent also reported on a simulation video of the explosion.

Video by The Independent.

The explosion simulation video, which was produced by an engineering firm, shows the explosion emanating east and south of the epicentre.

This footage demonstrates how the surrounding terrain was obliterated as the wave expands outwards, The Independent reported.

Details on the explosion

According to CNN, the explosion was so massive that it created seismic waves equivalent to a magnitude 3.3 earthquake.

The cause of the blast is believed to be due to ammonium nitrate that has been stored in a warehouse since 2014, reported BBC.

The president of Beirut, Michel Aoun, tweeted in Arabic that it was "unacceptable" that 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate was stored in an unsafe manner.

Ammonium nitrate is commonly used as an agricultural fertiliser or as a bomb. It is highly explosive when it comes into contact with fire.

Photos and videos of the explosion's devastating aftermath have also been shared on social media.

Top photo via UpNow Social Worldwide, video screenshot from The Independent