Before And After Satellite Images Show The Magnitude Of Destruction Caused By The Blast In Beirut

By Sumaiya Ghani in Heartbreaking On 6th August 2020
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The before and after pictures were captured and shared by European Space Imaging just a few hours after the explosion.

The blast of Beirut has shaken the entire world, the before and after pictures show the severity of the explosion and the destruction it has caused to the port area.

The post shared on their website said; "Very High Resolution (VHR) satellite images captured only hours ago with WorldView-2 by European Space Imaging highlight the scope of the damage to the surrounding blast site."

20 buildings were destroyed by the horrific blast that killed hundreds.

It also said; "Almost 20 buildings have been completely destroyed, whilst hundreds of other surrounding buildings have been significantly damaged. A cruise ship has been overturned and four tankers have been damaged."

"According to AIS data, this cruise ship is the 'Orient Queen' sailing under the flag of Bahamas, and originating from port King Abdullah, Saudi Arabia."

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Operations are being carried by ESI to evaluate the extent of the damage.

Adrian Zevenbergen, Managing Director, European Space Imaging, said: "When disaster strikes, VHR satellite imagery can provide critical information for emergency relief operations to evaluate the extent of damage and get an entire overview of the scene."

"It supplies crisis management teams with logistical insights for planning and helps to monitor and detect any changes that may be critical to minimizing or even eliminating further catastrophe."

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European Space Imaging is monitoring the situation and will make new pictures available very soon.

In an emergency cabinet meeting on Wednesday, President Michel Aoun said: "No words can describe the horror that has hit Beirut last night, turning it into a disaster-stricken city."

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According to Lebanon's prime minister Hassan Diab, the explosion was caused by 2,700 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that had been stored in a warehouse near the port for the past six years. The chemical stored there is used to make fertilizers and explosives.

The prime minister's statement is supported by General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim, who blamed the blast on 'highly explosive material' that had been kept in the warehouse for years.

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The hospitals in the city are exhausted and are in dire need of donations. Emergency services are busy looking for people that are trapped beneath the rubble and feared dead.

The heartbreaking incident has caused 300,000 people to lost their homes. Approximately $5 billion is required to repair the damage caused by the explosion, says the Governor Marwan Abboud.