EXPERT REACTION: Massive explosion rocks Lebanon's capital Beirut
Explosions have rocked Lebanon's capital Beirut, killing at least 78 people, injuring thousands more, and sending an enormous blast wave across the city that shattered windows, knocked down doors and shook buildings. Lebanon’s Prime Minister, Hassan Diab, said the main blast at Beirut’s port was caused when an estimated 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate ignited. He said the chemical had been left unsecured for six years in a warehouse, and vowed to punish those responsible. Below Australian experts discuss the disaster response and the chemical involved.
Organisation/s: Flinders University, The Australian National University, The University of New South Wales, Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, University of South Australia, Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine
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Expert Reaction
These comments have been collated by the Science Media Centre to provide a variety of expert perspectives on this issue. Feel free to use these quotes in your stories. Views expressed are the personal opinions of the experts named. They do not represent the views of the SMC or any other organisation unless specifically stated.
Associate Professor Stewart Walker is from the school of Forensic, Environmental and Analytical Chemistry at Flinders University. Stewart's research interests include Ammonium Nitrate and other Improvised Explosives.