The Blast from Beyond the Headlines

On August 4, 2020 the heart of Beirut was ripped apart by a huge explosion caused by 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate detonating at the city’s port. The National’s Finbar Anderson was one of the thousands injured in the blast – hit by flying shards of glass in his own living room. In a four-part mini-series one year later, he has traced the events of how that tragic day came to pass. Beginning with how the ammonium nitrate ended up in Lebanon, Finbar speaks to the officials who knew it sat at the port for six years and to the victims and their families, whose lives changed forever on that summer’s day. And finally, we examine the fallout in the year since as people demand answers and await the official investigation. Join us from August 2 to August 5 at TheNationalNews.com or on your favourite podcast app. Subscribe to Beyond the Headlines to hear the full story.