At the foot of the carcass of silos gutted in the port of Beirut, French experts have been at work since Friday to help the Lebanese authorities to solve the enigma of the double explosion that disfigured the city on August 4 at the end of afternoon. Engineers at the National Institute of Scientific Police (INPS), these specialists were selected in particular because of their knowledge of ammonium nitrate, a fertilizer of which the 2,700 tonnes stored on site turned into a gigantic bomb.
Read also: Where are the stocks of ammonium nitrate in France and how are they monitored?
To reconstruct the pyrotechnic chain at the origin of the disaster, similar to that appraised in 2001 on the site of the AZF factory in Toulouse, these police officers take multiple samples. Using the series of panoramic photos, they also model the theater of the explosion . "The operation is made more complex because of the 4.30 meters of water that we discovered at the bottom of the crater dug by the blast ," Comptroller General Dominique told Figaro.
This article is for subscribers only. You have 75% left to discover.
Subscribe: 1 € for 2 months
Cancellable at any time
Enter your emailAlready subscribed? Log in
