Thread: 56 tonne bomb

I've been waiting for the press to make the obvious connection to Halifax Harbour 1917 but alas, collectively, I guess they're not that bright The equivalent of 3000 tonnes of TNT was sure a 'big bang' and the largest non nuclear explosion ever.

Deano

Originally Posted by DeanoH

I've been waiting for the press to make the obvious connection to Halifax Harbour 1917 but alas, collectively, I guess they're not that bright The equivalent of 3000 tonnes of TNT was sure a 'big bang' and the largest non nuclear explosion ever.

Deano

Yes, that was indeed a horrific tragedy.

Many of the surviving victims of the Halifax blast lost their eyesight due to flying glass.

Originally Posted by ramblingboy42

I understood AN had to be packed then detonated to cause it to explode.

Guess we wont really know the cirumstances until an authority identifies how the AN was stored.

A couple of factors I've heard mentioned by those that know better than me (ie dudes who blow things up for a living, or investigate the remains).

Apparently long term storage in an uncontrolled environment causes the prills to absorb/release moisture as the absolute humidity changes, which causes the whole lot to powder, pack and harden over time. That explains the potential for packing.

Long term storage in an uncontrolled environment can also lead to contamination of parts of the bulk which can sensitize it, although I'm led to understand it remains a secondary explosive still requiring an effective primer to set it off. Can't quite see myself how you could contaminate 2750 tonnes of the stuff with the right proportion of contaminants, but then I'm not the chemist and I know that improperly formulated explosives based on nitrates can still be pretty effective.

Reports indicate there were fireworks stored nearby, and examination of the various footage sources pre-detonation would bear that out. It's not inconceivable (although I would have thought pretty improbable) that something bigish got loose and into enough of the mass to prime it up.

Despite the conspiracy theorists going off in a multitude of directions, it does look for all intents and purposes to be a tragic but spectacular accident. I've been to that part of Beirut. I find it hard to believe there are only 4000 injured.

The other oddity is I saw one news report that stated it was confiscated high explosive. Perhaps it was already mixed with the right hydrocarbons and ready to go, having sat for 6 years quietly packing itself down.

is it too early for jokes or should i let the dust settle first?

Originally Posted by Tote

The Beirut explosion was apparently due to a large pile of ammonium nitrate that had been sitting around for six years “It is unacceptable that a shipment of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate has been present for six years in a warehouse, without taking preventive measures and endangering the safety of citizens”.

Lebanon explosion: Huge blast rocks Beirut

Regards,
Tote

The Beirut explosion was reported to be 2,750 tonnes of Ammonium Nitrate. Stored on Koorangang Island , in the heart of Newcastle, is 6,000 to 12,000 tonnes of Ammonium Nitrate. If nothing else, this information may make Koorangang Island a prime terrorist target.


Beirut explosion raises fresh concern about Newcastle's much larger ammonium nitrate stockpile

Droll Eevo,

well we we did have jokes about a crucifixion ,a carpenter walking on the sea, NASA, Biafra ,and the good ship Titanic , and circumsion, so I for one won’t be offended.

Originally Posted by Eevo

is it too early for jokes or should i let the dust settle first?

The proverbial ‘busy as a one-armed Beruit bricklayer’ did spring to mind.