It happened on the afternoon of August 4th. The residents of the capital of Lebanon, Beirut had been going on with their daily activities as usual when a column of red smoke was seen to be rising from a warehouse in the Beirut port. Distressed onlookers whipped out their phones to film the scene while the city sent firefighters to handle what seemed to be just an ordinary fire.
Moments later an enormous explosion took place, dispelling a mushroom cloud into the atmosphere and flattening half the city in its wake. Shockwaves traveling faster than the speed of sound shook the city, crumbling homes and flipping cars off the roads. Spreading across the Mediterranean, the sound of the explosion was heard even in the neighboring country of Cyprus. Approximately 160 people were killed, 5,000 injured and more than 300,000 have been left homeless.
How could this possibly have happened? The warehouse where the first explosion took place had been holding 2750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, a highly explosive chemical, since 2014. This chemical in even a small quantity, when ignited can lead to an explosion. With such a huge quantity of it being burnt, it would inevitably lead to a devastating detonation. Though it is not yet clear what exactly set off the blast, it is obvious that the culprit was carelessness on behalf of the government. Why had this been stored improperly and in such close vicinity to residential areas? Why had no warning been issued to prevent this situation?
Lebanon already being in the middle of an economic crisis as well as being affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, is suffering severe consequences at the hands of this disaster. In Beirut, medical assistance for those injured was slowed down due to the destruction of hospitals in the blast. Added to this was the harsh impact of the demolition of the main grain silo of the city as well as, obviously, the port. This catastrophe has left Lebanon utterly crippled financially, politically, and mentally.
Having a history of civil war and wars with Israel, it is difficult to fathom the fact that the most damaging eruption endured by this country was a result of such major negligence and callousness on the part of its government. This has caused widespread anger among the citizens of Lebanon who are expressing it through demonstrations and protests demanding accountability for what has happened. At this very moment, the prime minister, Hassan Diab and his cabinet have stepped down, staying only in caretaker capacity until the new government is formed. International donors have pledged a quarter of a billion dollars as humanitarian assistance for Lebanon, however, everyone is looking for reform in the government whose incompetence led to such massive losses.
This event will not easily be erased from the minds of people who were betrayed by their own government. Some may even go as far as to call this the 9/11 of Lebanon. It has left a huge mental impact on not only the Lebanese but the whole world. The horror of it will haunt political leaders of Lebanon for a very long time indeed. It is a lesson learned the hard way that it does not do good to turn a blind eye to that which is right under your nose. It is a warning that a lack of care cannot be afforded in today's world.
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Nicely articulated !