On Tuesday evening, August 4, 2020, around 6:07 p.m. local time, a massive explosion rocked the Port of Beirut, Lebanon. The blast was sparked when a fire in a warehouse ignited roughly 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate—an unstable chemical stored at the dock for six years despite repeated safety warnings. The blast released energy comparable to about 1,100 tons of TNT, creating a shockwave that roared through the city at the speed of sound. It obliterated large portions of the port, sank vessels,