I doubt this was a "fireworks factory". More likely, an ammo dump.
Wow hella of a big explosion.
That had to hurt.
As far as I can tell from the various stories, the fire and explosions started in a Hezbollah missile factory which then caused an adjacent grain storage elevator to blow.
OMG...
Times of Israel reports: “Director-General of Lebanon Public Security Abbas Ibrahim says: “The storage area contained highly explosive materials confiscated years ago.”
I am guessing that included some liquids/gases, that produced that huge secondary fuel/air explosion. Maybe some liquid rocket propellant and oxidizer?
There were many smaller secondary detonations, before the big one went off, so maybe there was a variety of armament and ammunition stored there.
As much as this is the Middle East, and conspiracy theories are the rule, a lot of industrial accidents happen in handling some touchy materials. Poor storage conditions (lack of adequate separation), and just a bit of bad luck could well have produced this.
Hello? Yes, this is Acme Glass Company, how can I help you?
Did anyone bother to check for radiation?
Betting IDF hit Hezbollah rocket depot. Conventional explosion.
Just an overloaded transformer blowing. Nothing to see here. Keep moving, keep moving.
“Felt as far away as Cyprus”......Fox News
In early 1970 I was in Qui Nhon, Viet Nam when the VC managed to get a lucky round into the ammunition depot. That thing exploded for 3 days. We were about 15 miles away, but it was still loud.
Shockwave video of secondary explosion (wait for it):
https://twitter.com/Alawaayy/status/1290726324810715137
There must be hundreds of videos already posted on YouTube.
All I can say was that one massive explosion. Building a mile away had all their glass blown out (on both sides of the building).
The death toll is going to be much higher then the ten or so they already announced (certainly anyone withing the immediate area including the firemen that were fighting the first fire are all dead).
I saw one video from a car driving on the freeway when the explosion happen within seconds the car was turned over and the video stopped (I assumed they were not killed since the video got posted).
Israel must have took out a Hamas baby milk factory.
Kablooey!
Calling it now: 2500 dead, 25K injured. MINIMUM. And that is not including any potential toxic smoke — just initial blast related injuries. This is going to be worse than 9/11.
THat’s a lot of damage, Beirut looks like a U.S. city now.