Hovedeksplosionen bliver forbundet med omkring 2.750 tons [[ammoniumnitrat]], der var blevet konfiskeret af regeringen fra et forladt skib og opbevaret på havnen uden særlige sikkerhedsforanstaltning i de seneste seks år.{{r|jazeera.live.2020.08.04}} Estimater af [[TNT-ækvivalent|ækvivalenteffekterne]] for eksplosionsradiussen går fra 100-300 tons [[Trotyl|TNT]].<ref name="Horton 2020">{{cite web | last=Horton | first=Alex | title=Here’s what the videos of the Beirut blast tell us about the explosion | website=Washington Post | date=4. august 2020 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/08/04/beirut-explosion-ammonium-nitrate/ | access-date=5. august 2020 | archive-date=19. august 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200819072657/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/08/04/beirut-explosion-ammonium-nitrate/ | url-status=ok }}</ref><ref name="Sina">{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/sinabooeshaghi/status/1290727092884299778|title=Using dimensional analysis I estimate that the energy contained in the awful #Beirut explosion was approximately 12 Terajoules|access-date=5. august 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805075426/https://twitter.com/sinabooeshaghi/status/1290727092884299778|archive-date=5. august 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Huisman">{{cite web | last=Huisman | first=Sander | title=Estimation of energy yield of 2020 Beirut port explosion | website=Wolfram Community | date=4. august 2020 | url=https://community.wolfram.com/groups/-/m/t/2051264 | access-date=4. august 2020 | archive-date= 5. august 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805050458/https://community.wolfram.com/groups/-/m/t/2051264 | url-status=ok }}</ref>
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