Buildings and Tensions Explode in Lebanon

Almost two months since the massive Beirut explosion, there is even more chaos in Lebanon as suspicious fires rage throughout the war-torn country. The country, still reeling from its 15 year long civil war that ended in 1990,  and its pummeling economic recession, has been plagued by a string of questionable explosions over the past several months. 

It all started with the now infamous Beirut explosion on August 4th, where 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate, stored in a port warehouse, exploded, killing at least 190 people and damaging almost every part of the Lebanese capital. 

The explosion was so powerful that it was recorded across the globe and in the United States as a seismic event with a magnitude of 3.3, the same magnitude as a minor earthquake. Following the explosion, protestors flooded the streets over the assumed Government negligence allowing the explosion to occur. The Prime Minister and his cabinet resigned 6 days later. 

However, it has been everything but smooth sailing for the country of Lebanon since this horrific event.

On the morning of September 10th, Beirut residents woke up to a black sky as a fire raged across another port warehouse, this time one that was storing tires and oil. Some residents confessed to fleeing the capital in fear of another explosion. 

The Lebanese Army was called to control the fire,  authorities reporting it was under control by early evening, though it did little to quell the hearts of the Lebanese. The thought that another explosion could happen again was now in the forefront of their minds.

And unfortunately, one did.

On Tuesday, an arms depot that belonged to the Shi’ite Muslim extremist group, Hezbollah, exploded, injuring several people and terrifying the Lebanese people.

The incident occurred in the town of Ain Qana in southern Lebanon, which has become infamous as a stronghold of Hezbollah, used to wage war against Israel to the south. Hezbollah, deemed a terrorist organization by 21 countries as well as the Arab League and the European Union, has been cited as saying the explosion was due to a “technical error”. 

As of now, a common what, maybe a common who, behind the recent string of explosions has not been found.