State of the Art Video Modeling of August 2020 Beirut Blast

State of the art video modeling of August 2020 Beirut blast

Newly released video modeling of the warehouse explosion in Beirut this past August is available free from the company contracted to produce it – and it showcases what is now possible with modeling technology and how publicly available open source information can assist with investigations.

Aside from the “wow” factor which makes this worth a watch for everyone in the Emergency Services Sector, this video should be of particular interest to the following fields:

• Fire/arson investigators and building or code inspectors – while the focus is on foreign regulations, the video examines how hazardous materials are stored improperly in the warehouse and who is accountable.
• Hazardous materials teams – several things were stored in the warehouse together: ammonium nitrate, tires, fireworks, slow-burning detonating cord and ammonium phosphate. What would you do if you were at a warehouse fire and found this out?
• Emergency planning – do you have warehouse storage in your jurisdiction? Do you know the potential hazards? Are residences, schools or hospitals potentially in a blast zone as they were in Lebanon?
• Port security and oversight – do you have good working relationships with whole community partners you will need to communicate with when planning for and responding to incidents?

This blast was one of the largest non-nuclear explosions ever recorded, killing over 200 people and destroying a large part of the city. The investigation into the Beirut explosion is ongoing but arrests were made this week.

Thanks for the share, CD!