Beirut explosion: Sky turns crimson as poisonous chemicals dissipate into the atmosphere

After two large blasts shook Lebanese capital, Beirut, that injured at least 4000 and claimed over 100 lives, the Ammonium Nitrate explosion that had formed a red mushroom cloud dissipated in the atmosphere and formed a mystic orange and white hue. Officials said the blasts had to do with “highly explosive” material stored at the port’s warehouse. In a post shared on Twitter by European Union Club, a crimson horizon can be witnessed due to the concentration of the chemicals in the sky as a person on a vehicle captured it on camera.  

The 10-second footage that has amassed over 43.6k views depicts the astonishing visuals that portray a road with green pine trees along the sides. Several cars can be seen driving on the path immersed with scenic beauty. Although the sky looks like it’s possibly a sunset hour at the time video was recorded, the post’s caption explained that the crimson clouds were a result of toxic chemicals that escaped in the environment post the massive explosion.

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While a user called the visuals beautiful with respect to the texture of the sky, another pointed out that the chemicals were dangerous to breathe and could cause harmful impact on the environment. A user corrected the commenter that called the footage as “beautiful,” saying that those were in fact some very “poisonous” chemicals. Meanwhile, some users shared the footages of the blasts that showed the crimson cloud formation at the time of the blast hovering above the explosion site.  

Investigation underway to identify cause

After the deadly explosion, President Michel Aoun tweeted that it was "unacceptable" to have stored 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate so unsafely that it resulted in a tragedy. While the investigation was underway to identify the exact cause of the blasts, Lebanon's Supreme Defence Council issued a statement, saying, that the perpetrators would “face the punishment”.  

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