Welcome to one of the most active flamenco sites on the Internet. Guests can read most posts but if you want to participate click here to register.
This site is dedicated to the memory of Paco de Lucía, Ron Mitchell, Guy Williams, Linda Elvira, Philip John Lee, Craig Eros, Ben Woods, David Serva and Tom Blackshear who went ahead of us.
We receive 12,200 visitors a month from 200 countries and 1.7 million page impressions a year. To advertise on this site please contact us.
In my 35 years of being on this planet, I've never seen such an explosion in Lebanon. Humans literally got vaporized from the blast. My home is just two miles from where the events took place today. So far the family members I've been able to reach are OK, but several of my friends got injured. Lebanon is being decimated. I think this place won't last any longer than the coming few months / years. After that, it'll be a barren land. Such a shame...
RE: Did y'all see what happened in m... (in reply to rombsix)
Very sad for those impacted. I note those in power are stating they will punish those responsible. Now will that include the ruling classes who ignored enforcing health and safety, and risk assessment? Or those who siphoned money that the state needed to perform such tasks?
Let's hope it is a turning point towards a better future. I remember a guy many years ago saying that Lebanon had the potential to be the south of France in the Eastern Med. I hope it happens one day.
_____________________________
nigel (el raton de Watford - now Puerto de Santa Maria, Cadiz)
Posts: 3491
Joined: Jul. 12 2009
From: Washington, DC
RE: Did y'all see what happened in m... (in reply to rombsix)
Very sorry, Ramzi, but glad that your relatives appear to be safe.
According to the news, it is thought that the explosion was the result of some 2,700 tons of ammonia nitrate that had been stored at the port since 2014. Ammonia nitrate is a highly volatile fertilizer that is used in truck bombs and the like. One wonders why the hell the authorities allowed storage at the port for so long.
Once again, I'm glad your relatives are safe and hope that your injured friends recover.
Bill
_____________________________
And the end of the fight is a tombstone white, With the name of the late deceased, And the epitaph drear, "A fool lies here, Who tried to hustle the East."
Posts: 482
Joined: May 6 2009
From: Iran (living in London)
RE: Did y'all see what happened in m... (in reply to rombsix)
Hi Ramzi,
Sorry for the sad news but I'm glad your family are safe.
It is a shame about what's going on in your country at the moment (i.e economical situation, inflation, lunatic militia and powers connected to the evil mullahs in Iran, etc). From what I've heard your country was once one of the most beautiful countries in the middle east.
"Anything you do can be fixed. What you cannot fix is the perfection of a blank page. What you cannot fix is that pristine, unsullied whiteness of a screen or a page with nothing on it—because there’s nothing there to fix."
Posts: 3484
Joined: Jan. 20 2004
From: Austin, Texas USA
RE: Did y'all see what happened in m... (in reply to BarkellWH)
quote:
ORIGINAL: BarkellWH According to the news, it is thought that the explosion was the result of some 2,700 tons of ammonia nitrate that had been stored at the port since 2014. Ammonia nitrate is a highly volatile fertilizer that is used in truck bombs and the like. One wonders why the hell the authorities allowed storage at the port for so long. Bill
I'm sure it seemed like a good idea at the time.
My sympathy to you, Ramzi my friend. I hope all your family and friends survived intact.
Posts: 3484
Joined: Jan. 20 2004
From: Austin, Texas USA
RE: Did y'all see what happened in m... (in reply to Piwin)
quote:
ORIGINAL: Piwin
I don't think I've ever seen an explosion that size... Truly horrific.
The largest explosion I have seen--so far--was at Medina Base at San Antonio, Texas. Adjacent to Lackland Air Force Base, atomic weapons were stored there--may still be. My mother was in a severe auto accident in the fall of 1963, and was in a room on the top floor of the large Air Force general hospital on Lackland for several weeks while she recovered.
Visiting her, I stood at the window, looking at the sunset over Medina base. Suddenly a large mushroom cloud shot up from the underground storage facilities. As I watched the shock wave kick up dust while it travelled across the dry landscape toward us, I thought, "Well, this must be it."
Turns out it wasn't. The building rocked back more than a foot and a half, but remained intact. The wall didn't strike me until near the end of its displacement, resulting only in a few small scratches and bruises. The window where I stood was cracked, but did not shatter like some below it. The explosion was in a fairly large store of conventional explosives, at a distance of a few miles from the hospital.
It was one of a handful of times I thought I saw the approach of certain death. Those experiences have not made the inevitable prospect any more attractive.
But I would prefer a sudden death to many I have seen.
It is the injury, grief and bereavement of the Beirut survivors which is so terrible.
Posts: 1768
Joined: Jul. 11 2003
From: The Netherlands
RE: Did y'all see what happened in m... (in reply to rombsix)
What a horrific blast. My feelings go out to you Ramzi, I sure hope everybody you know is save. 200.000 homeless in 3 seconds. This does not fit in my mind.
RE: Did y'all see what happened in m... (in reply to rombsix)
I couldn't believe the power of the blast when I watched. Truly horrendous. God all those poor people just trying to get by. Hopefully the U.S. and Europe step up with some real financial help. Hope and prayers to Lebanon Ramzi.
Printable Version
New Messages
No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages
Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages
Locked w/o New Messages
Post New Thread