Citation

El Sayed MJ. Disaster Med. Public Health Prep. 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Publisher Cambridge University Press)

DOI

10.1017/dmp.2020.451

PMID

33203497

Abstract

The largest non-nuclear blast in modern history took place on August 4, 2020 at 6:07 pm in Beirut, Lebanon after an estimated 2,750 tons of unsafely stored Ammonium Nitrate exploded. The physical and social impacts of this catastrophic event coinciding with the COVID19 Pandemic were massive. This article describes the national and international emergency response to this event and highlights the impact of the explosion on the healthcare sector in Lebanon. Challenges noted during this response with recommendations for improving response to future disasters are also described.

Language: en

Keywords

Explosion; Beirut; Ammonium Nitrate; COVID19 Pandemic; Disaster Response