Beirut Port Disaster

Summary

Beirut is a general cargo port amongst the top 10 Mediterranean seaports. Its water basins hold a container terminal, a cruise terminal, two marinas and a general cargo terminal.

As of 04th Aug 2020 at 1530UTC a blast occurred on the general cargo terminal, apparently near berth 09. The area contains five warehouses and a silo in the centre. Skytek’s REACT system observed only two cargo ships were alongside berth 8 at the time of the incident. They were the Raouf H, Mero Star (Figure 1 pink icons).

One passenger ship, the Orient Queen was alongside the adjacent cruise terminal at the time of the blast. It is expected that damages have been incurred to the ships, including 3 tugs Baltagi 17, 19 & 20 nearby (Figure 1 green icons).

International media is indicating a possible explosion of ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse, actually capturing a statement from a crew member of Orient Queen subsequent to the explosion.

Figure 1: Skytek capture of ships in Beirut port on the 04th Aug 2020
Vessel Type
3-Aug-20
4-Aug-20
Cargo Ships
23
26
Passenger
1
1
Yachts
22
29
Tankers
5
6
Tugs
4
5

In the above table, the Skytek REACT system recorded the ships in the port, either moored or at waiting outside the port for a free berth during 04th Aug, and the ship type distribution for the 03rd and 04th Aug.

Skytek capture of ships docked at Beirut port, satellite image from 4th August, 07:36 UTC (image source: Planet).

In our earlier update, the Skytek REACT system recorded the ships in the port, either moored, or at waiting outside the port for a free berth during 04th Aug, and the ship type distribution for the 03rd and 04th Aug.

Skytek analysis of Beirut port 05th Aug 2020 – source Digital Globe.

Vessel Name

Vessel Type

Flag

RAOUF H

Cargo

Comoros

JOURI

Cargo

Lebanon

CMA CGM LYRA

Cargo

Malta

MOHICAN

Cargo

Malta

MERO STAR

Cargo

Sierra Leone

ORIENT QUEEN

Passenger

Bahamas

MAEVA

Yacht

UK

FRISH

Yacht

Malta

LUCKY SAILOR

Tanker

Malta

DUKE I

Tanker

Panama

FZOK

Yacht

British Virgin Islands

LION EIGHT

Yacht

British Virgin Islands

BINGO

Yacht

Lebanon

M/Y LE PHENICIEN

Yacht

Malta

MY WAY

Yacht

St Kitts & Nevis

CRAZY 8

Yacht

UK

DAAD

Yacht

UK

LAMONA

Yacht

UK

OLINDIA

Yacht

UK

THALYSSA

Yacht

UK

BLUE DIAMOND

Yacht

USA

DARINA – SI

Yacht

USA

KING HENRY XI

Yacht

USA

LAYALENA

Yacht

USA

LINA

Yacht

USA

M/Y BBU

Yacht

USA

PHENICIA

Yacht

USA

M/Y BOUT TIME

Yacht

USA

M/Y SAMIRA

Yacht

USA

M/Y SUE

Yacht

USA

NOUR

Yacht

USA

ZOUZOU

Yacht

USA

CELANDINE

Sailing

UK

SEAGULL III

Sailing

USA

BALTAGI 17

Tug

Lebanon

BALTAGI 20

Tug

Lebanon

BALTAGI 19

Tug

Lebanon

DPS TRAMONTANE

Tug

St Vincent & Grenadines

Pre/Post Event Images

READ DISCLAIMER

EO satellite image providers:

eo-provider-planet
eo-provider-esa
eo-provider-nasa
eo-provider-airbus
eo-provider-copernicus
eo-provider-iceye

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