General Chat

There are so many problems to be solved for Beirut and the surrounding area, both immediately and long term, and I hope covid will not make things even worse. I hope any assistance given from other countries will be directed where it is most needed and not milked by corrupt officials etc.

Seeing the people mourning and protesting was heartrending, and the pain of the injured, bewildered children brought me to tears.

I hope there will be a better future for these poor people.

Lizx

What about the store that was filled with grain! Most of it spilled out and Im guessing that was food for the winter.

Florence in the hebrides

I can hear the sound of bucks being passed!

The long view - Hopefully, the nations' Governments will pull together & demonstrate their willingness to help.

Airport although damaged flights are arriving and departing OK

The loss of all the port facilities will make everything so much more difficult.

Reports around 300,000 homeless now, it's very hot now so shelter will be needed and the winter will be cold. Lots needed to be done and some things need doing quickly.

Such a dire thing to happen at any time but what with everything else going on at the moment it is an additional catastrophe that the area could have done without ..... and we all know that the dangerous effects of that horrible gas will be carried for miles.

So sad.

What a terrible thing to happen especially with covid problems to deal with. I feel so sad for all those affected.

Lizxx

We did hear a distant explosion and feel the shock wave that went through the house, frightened our dog. Dreadful thing to happen. News here says a welder's spark started the fire that lead to the explosion. We'll have to wait to see the reports later.

Syria report it actually registered as an earthquake at 3.3 on the Richter scale

The explosion was awful, wasn't it, and the resulting carnage is difficult to comprehend.

Apparently the Ammonium Nitrate had been confiscated, 6 years ago, from a Russian businessman, who was attempting to take it to Mozambique.

Politicians were constantly warned about it, but failed to act.
It seems, every official who was responsible for port security in Beirut for the last six years has been put under house arrest.

Just seen the bigger picture of the destruction that happened yesterday.

It looked like a nuclear bomb had gone off.It could be felt 100 miles away on the isle of Cyprus. The scene looks like something of an earthquake zone and is quite hard to comprehend how it happened.

Why was Amonium Nitrate being stored in that building, that is the question.

Feel so sorry for all the people affected by this.

Florence in the hebrides