File:Urm al-Kubra Attack blast area 1.png

Note: blast areas were re-numbered so this is now #2 on the scene map.

Discussion
Left, looking down:
 * red square is app. worst of the blast pressure wave.
 * But heat bucking could contribute there more, too. --Resup (talk) 14:26, 5 October 2016 (UTC)


 * Blue marks where there's apparent shrapnel marks. The tailgate was pierced twice (while up, so the flip marks), at an oblique angle, and maybe hit the opposite wall. Force is low, slightly behind the trucks.
 * Somewhat where the relevant blast should nave been.

The general band of the shrapnel marks slopes up, seems to me. A perpendicular to this (possible origin of fire) would be from the south, nearby, coming in steep. Might be the same band of shrapnel here is what marked the facade of the warehouse not far to the north. That could clarify the issue - that blue band is not extremely clear.

Right: damaged house: The northwest corner is just meters from the back of the truck (correlated orange box - (near cleared patch, toilet paper, two boards). The whole outer hall?) is down, but the damage may not all be from the blast. The walls have toppled outward, and floors and roof just collapsed. Seems the corner was removed, and a general shock wave took out all but the furthest, slightly more supported area. It was not a strong building. To me, direction of blast here is totally unclear. If there's no reason to think this was a second blast in the same area, I'd say the collapse shows nothing about direction, and the same possible FAE blast did all this - it came from the south, perhaps, hit closer to the house, annihilated that corner, made a crater we can't see, buried in rubble. --Caustic Logic (talk) 12:54, 5 October 2016 (UTC)


 * Notice, that both trailers have been moved by the blast. The leftmost trailer sits on top of the central roundabout in a position where it could not be driven to. -- Petri Krohn (talk) 14:04, 5 October 2016 (UTC)
 * I doubt truck will be moved by pushing on those weak sides; note that tires are still mostly intact, so not a huge blast. Trucks could be parked on a divider to make the road clear. Also White Helmets have heavy equipment, of such sort, and it could be used to push off road after the strike --Resup (talk) 14:26, 5 October 2016 (UTC)
 * I suspect it was the blast force, but maybe not. It's the right direction, there's damage and burning and the sides look pushed (whole body would be effected, not well, but even wall pushing on contents pushing other wall will move it some)... could be parked this way to make room, but probably not pushed after (no sign of tractor driving there). --Caustic Logic (talk) 04:56, 9 October 2016 (UTC)
 * This bobcat/loader may qualify for a 'tractor'--Resup (talk) 07:16, 9 October 2016 (UTC)
 * Looking at a photo of truck 9's cab looking down between them, they don't come close to touching. So #8 can't be pushed by #9. Must have parked there I guess. --Caustic Logic (talk) 05:06, 9 October 2016 (UTC)

The building
Google Earth shows the destroyed building was constructed in 2013, at a time when Urm al-Kubra was already in rebel hands. The building lacks the pilar-and-slab construction of practically all Syrian buildings. Instead the floor slabs are supported by the flimsily built outer walls. Any normal building would have survived the blast without collapsing. -- Petri Krohn (talk) 14:01, 5 October 2016 (UTC)
 * My impression was about that - poor construction somehow makes for massive appearance of damage when initial actual damage just isn't clear. Should be at the corner basically, but not clear how far or in which direction the force extended. --Caustic Logic (talk) 04:56, 9 October 2016 (UTC)