The explosion in China and (Beirut)....

[Dublagent66]

Kinda weird that this explosion happened just 2 days shy of the Hiroshima bombing anniversary (75 years ago today).  Not saying Beirut was deliberate, but the timing is kinda eerie.  I don't think they can rule anything out at this point.  But all that AN was stored next to an industrial grade fireworks warehouse?  With a blast that big, how can they determine which was ignited first?  Seems real suspicious to me.

The fireworks ignited first. Here's a good breakdown of it all...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnSr820S2Mk

So wharehouse full of ammonium Nitrate next to fireworks factory next to 80% of the countries emergency grain food storage. Really not the best city planning I'd say, I mean I'm far from an expert but damn.

Yeah, and that would raise even more suspicion.  Anyone could've sabotaged the fireworks factory.  Nothing but a chain reaction from that point on. 

[XJDenton]

I'm not sure if there's a point in there directed at me or not. In any case, I looked for the increase in yield the racing fuel added and didn't find it, so that's good information (and significant). It's worth noting, though, that McVeigh also used aluminum siding along five sides of this truck to better direct the blast, hence the damage being so unilateral. I've also read that he may have been able to boost his ANFO with flaked aluminum, which makes it both easier to detonate and increases the blast yield.

It wasn't so much directed at you than it was directly supplementing the information you provided. And you are correct about aluminium, that also works as a fuel increasing both detonation velocity and heat production.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammonal

That said, we are when it comes to yield, we are talking about a factor of 2 or 3 at best. Pure AN is, as demonstrated. deadly enough by itself.

[lonestar]

Curious question for the smarter people...

So the building right next to the explosion, the one filled with grain stores, I was amazed it wasn't completely flattened by the blast since everything else in the near radius was. Would being filled with grain be the reason it stood ground so to speak?

[El Barto]

Curious question for the smarter people...

So the building right next to the explosion, the one filled with grain stores, I was amazed it wasn't completely flattened by the blast since everything else in the near radius was. Would being filled with grain be the reason it stood ground so to speak?

I think it's as simple as being made of a shit-ton of reinforced concrete. Consider that this building was ground zero (literally) at Hiroshima. It's really hard to wreck a good concrete building. That's why you either blow out the supports and let gravity pull it down, or spend weeks slowly hammering away with a wrecking ball.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Some new footage: https://youtu.be/F-vGkIKxGAg

That shockwave! 

[Dublagent66]

Damn!!   

[Chino]

Holy shit.

[XJDenton]

Curious question for the smarter people...

So the building right next to the explosion, the one filled with grain stores, I was amazed it wasn't completely flattened by the blast since everything else in the near radius was. Would being filled with grain be the reason it stood ground so to speak?

Grain dust also has a tendency to explode so I imagine its reinforced for that reason.

[bosk1]

A guy whose channel I follow for other reasons posted a great short video of what it is like living there right now, and gets into a lot of great detail about the human cost on the ground in the latter half of the video.  The first 3 minutes or so is about various theories, some perhaps a bit out there, and some fairly realistic, that are better saved for the P/R section.  But there is a lot of good stuff in there just to help those of us outside that country understand what is going on in the lives of those there, and how we can help, if so inclined.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFz4a-IRl4s