Experts from the University of Sheffield believe Tuesday’s explosion in Beirut may have carried about 10% of the strength of an atomic bomb.
Through rapid analysis, they have estimated that the blast had the force of 1,000 to 1,500 metric tons of trinitrotoluene or TNT.
“Whatever the precise charge size, this is unquestionably one of the largest nonnuclear explosions in history, far bigger than any conventional weapon,” professor Andy Tyas, who led the research initiative, said Wednesday.
“We have also analyzed video footage of the time delay between the detonation and the arrival of the shock wave at points several hundred meters from the explosion, and these broadly agree with this size of charge,” he added. “If correct, that would mean this explosion had perhaps 10% of the intensity of the Hiroshima bomb.”
The explosion in the Lebanese capital has left the country’s people utterly devastated. The city’s governor said that as many as 300,000 people are now homeless. State-run media, citing the Red Cross, recently reported that at least 135 people have died, and 5,000 have been wounded.
Prime Minister Hassan Diab blamed about 2,750 metric tons of ammonium nitrate left unsecured at a port warehouse for the blast, but its cause has not been officially determined.
