[Homer Simpson]

https://apnews.com/4475998de078a93bbe91b7ac9d43ada2

I haven't seen this mentioned yet. They're saying that this is the third largest human-generated explosion in history, behind the Hiroshima (1) and Nagasaki (2) bombs, with a blast radius of about 20 km.

The current explanation is that it was a warehouse full of ammonium nitrate fertilizer that had been impounded from an unseaworthy freighter and then just kind of... forgotten about, until it exploded when a nearby fireworks warehouse (!!!) caught fire.

I have a few friends in Beirut, including my Arabic tutor, who is a newly-baptized Christian. Her name is Barbara (the name she took in baptism), if you would pray for her.

يا رب ارحم لبنان (O Lord, have mercy on Lebanon!)

For comparison's sake, someone was saying that the Oklahoma City bombing was carried out with two tons of ammonium nitrate.

This was over 2700 tons.

[DaGeek]

I saw the video and was shocked. That explosion was massive. Horrific. I doubt if we'll ever know the real death toll with all the devastation and wreckage .

[Leboman]

It was horrific. Definitely praying for all those affected.