The Beirut Explosion; WEM interviews UK-MED’s CEO David Wrightwick

UK-Med CEO David Wightwick talks to Dr Will Duffin, WEM’s Education Lead about his experience leading the #UKaid funded medical needs assessment team in Lebanon, following the devastating explosion at Beirut Port on August 4th and how the UK Emergency Medical Team is supporting the people of Lebanon. Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

On 4 August 2020, a large amount of ammonium nitrate stored at the port of the city of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, exploded, causing at least 190 deaths, 6,500 injuries, US$10–15 billion in property damage, and leaving an estimated 300,000 people homeless. Around 2,750 tonnes of the substance (equivalent to around 1.1 kilotons of TNT) had been stored in a warehouse without proper safety measures for the previous six years, after having been confiscated by the Lebanese authorities from the abandoned ship MV Rhosus.

It is not yet known what caused the ammonium nitrate to detonate. Although an investigation is ongoing, possible causes include a fire in an alleged fireworks warehouse, an attack, or a fire in an ammunition warehouse. Source: Wikipedia.