Beirut Ammonium Nitrate Explosion: A Man-Made Disaster in Times of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Mazen J El SayedPublished in: Disaster medicine and public health preparedness (2020)
The largest non-nuclear blast in modern history took place on August 4, 2020, at 6:07 PM in Beirut, Lebanon, after an estimated 2750 tons of unsafely stored ammonium nitrate exploded. The physical and social impacts of this catastrophic event coinciding with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic were massive. This article describes the national and international emergency responses to this event and highlights the impact of the explosion on the health care sector in Lebanon. Challenges noted during this response with recommendations for improving response to future disasters are also described.
Keyphrases
- healthcare
- coronavirus disease
- nitric oxide
- drinking water
- mental health
- ionic liquid
- particulate matter
- emergency department
- air pollution
- public health
- physical activity
- current status
- room temperature
- quality improvement
- clinical practice
- polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
- respiratory syndrome coronavirus
- water soluble
- sars cov
- health information