2022 Beresa port bombing

2022 Beresa port bombing
The aftermath of the bombing at the naval port in Beresa
Location	Beresa Naval Port, Beresa, Saint Croix and Bens
Date	October 1st, 2022 8:02 PM
Weapons	Ammonium nitrate explosion
Deaths	988 (including the perpetrators)
Non-fatal injuries	2,000+
Perpetrator	6 perpetrators

The 2022 Beresa port bombing was an attack against WEDA military forces at the Beresa Naval Port in Beresa, Saint Croix and Bens, on October 1st, 2022. The blast destroyed or heavily damaged 22 naval vessels and killed 988 people, and injured 2,000 more. The attack occurred at around 8 PM when an explosive-laden barge which had anchored between two warships, the ZMS Grouse and the SCBN Beresi, blew up. President Wira Santoso immediately authorized a state of emergency in response to the attack, and a massive rescue and recovery effort was undertaken. As of October 1st, 2022, the perpetrators of the attack are unknown, though initial reports pointed to al-Fijar or the Terehanian government.

The explosion, caused by a barge laden with 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate (equivalent to around 1.1 kilotons of TNT), completely destroyed the two vessels and damaged dozens of others, and it also leveled or severely damaged hundreds of structures within the immediate vicinity of the naval base. The explosion registered as a seismic event of magnitude 3.6 and is considered one of the most powerful non-nuclear explosions in history. Sailors and other personnel from SCB, Albarine, Emmiria, Quetana, Sulifa, and Zamastan were killed.

Attack

MIM Rhosis enters port

At 5:09 AM (SCB) on October 1st, 2022, a 86.6 m (284 ft) barge flagged with Cyruda and called the MIM Rhosis entered Beresa's commercial harbor, where it was checked and authorized for entry by port officials. Cargo records and a sweep check by port officials confirmed a load of chemical substance for factory use in the nearby industrial zone neighboring the port. The Rhosis was permitted to anchor at dock 6A, which sits 2 kilometers across the harbor from the Naval Port. At 5:35 PM, the Rhosis lifted anchor and turned on its engines without consulting port authorities, and began crossing the harbor towards the naval base. Traveling at low speed, the boat's transponder was switched to a 'clear signal' under the SCB military's clearance, and it entered restricted base waters at 7:21 PM. At 7:49 PM, it pulled alongside the Zamastanian cruiser Grouse, adjusting positioning before dropping anchor and powering down. Its crew of six remained on board.

At 7:53 PM, SCB and Zamastanian sailors on both the Grouse and the Beresi alerted base authorities that the barge had pulled up alongside the warships, and within moments security personnel arrived to the dock to investigate. One of the Rhosis' crew came out from the cabin and exchanged words with responding security officials, but refused to cast a boarding ladder for the officers to investigate, and refused to pull the boat out of its anchor spot between the warships. An argument ensued, and the crew member reentered the cabin at 7:59 PM.

Explosion

At 8:01 PM, the barge exploded as a result of the crew members on board detonating explosives with the cargo of ammonium nitrate. The resulting blast engulfed the port, ripping apart the adjoining warships and causing major damage to dozens of nearby vessels docked along the row. The blast sent a red-orange cloud into the air, which was briefly surrounded by a white condensation cloud. The red-orange color of the smoke was caused by nitrogen dioxide, a byproduct of ammonium nitrate decomposition. The explosion shook the central business district of Beresa, where many buildings suffered broken windows. The blast was heard as far away as the SCB capital of Saint Elmenau and the Alecburghish capital of Kynnport. Despite inefficient transmission of the shock waves into the ground, seizmologists measured the blast as a 3.3 local magnitude earthquake. Experts estimated that the explosion was one of the largest artificial non-nuclear explosions ever recorded.

The explosion overturned cars and stripped steel-framed buildings of their cladding. Within the port area, the explosion destroyed a section of shoreline and left a blast crater roughly 124 m (407 ft) in diameter and 43 m (141 ft) in depth. Homes as far as 10 kilometers (6 miles) away were damaged by the blast.

319 sailors on the Grouse were killed, at least half of them instantly, with only 11 survivors. The Beresi suffered 120 dead, with 140 other sailors aboard sustaining injuries. Both ships suffered extensive and compromising damage, and each ship sank and rested on the shallow harbor floor within 15 minutes. Because the crew of warships follow curfews as instated by their navies, most of the sailors were on board their respective vessels at the time of the blast, either in their barracks, mess halls, other recreational areas, or points of duty. The congregation of sailors in confined spaces meant the death toll was greatly increased.

The Albarinean frigate AASC Cossland, docked next to the Grouse on the opposite side of the blast, also suffered severe damage and began to list. 49 Albarinean sailors were killed. On the opposite side of the Beresi, the Emmirian destroyer ENVS Baasim was heavily damaged and suffered 23 sailors killed. Several other Zamastanian navy ships were present in the harbor and suffered damage, including the Granet, Jackson, and Loan, and dozens of their crew members suffered injuries including burns and shrapnel punctures. The SCB vessel SCBN Lett was damaged extensively, suffering 60 killed. Another ship, the SCBN Hya, had its bridge face torn off by the pressure of the blast, and 19 of its sailors were killed.

Within the base, many structures including sailor barracks, munitions stores, and other buildings either collapsed or suffered extensive damage. 398 people who were within the base's perimeter (not on vessels) were killed in the blast, either as a direct result of exposure to the blast or from collapsed debris.

Beresa-Hett International Airport, the city's main airport, about 10 km (6 mi) from the site of the blast, sustained moderate damage to the terminal buildings during the explosion. Doors and windows were destroyed, and ceiling tiles were shaken loose by the shockwave, severing electrical wires. Despite the damage, flights continued.

The Saint Croix and Bens government placed total deaths at 988.

Reactions

WEDA response

In the wake of the bombing, WEDA leaders called for a swift response, unilaterally invoking the Alabaster Treaty's article 5 which assures mutual defense between member states.

Saint Croix and Bens - President Wira Santoso said; "It is clear that this tremendous event in Beresa today is not an accidental explosion as a result of any negligence, unchecked infrastructure, or outdated munitions... rather we can confirm that the location of this blast and the victims thereof are the result of a heinous and calculated terrorist attack. We are assessing all threats here. There's very little to indicate that this was an accidental explosion."

Albarine - Chancellor Sadie Melhaven called the attack an "atrocious act" and promised that the "full might of WEDA will respond to those responsible with swift justice." She went on to say "WEDA is on a war path for the first time in our organization's history. This is a calculated attack against our collective forces, and a dark day for every member nation. Albarine has lost brave men and women today who deployed as part of their mission to ensure peace for our nation and our allies. To our allied nations who have also lost men and women in service today, we honor their sacrifice and pledge our nation's entire ability behind our alliance. We will find those responsible, hold them to account, and destroy them entirely."

Emmiria - President Akram Sulaiman called the attack a "purposeful and egregious act of war against the Republic of Emmiria and the WEDA alliance," and went on to say "this attack is enough to declare war. Once our intelligence has determined the perpetrators, there will be immediate and severe repercussions."

Janapa - President Kendrick Mehans said "the Janapan people are with our allies in WEDA and we stand unilaterally with them. WEDA is at war with these monsters who attacked a peaceful nation, a restful navy, and an un-antagonistic facility. This attack will be remembered forever in its scale and suddenness, and its perpetrators will remember our response: united, bold, and determined."

Zamastan - President Sabine Armitage delivered a national address hours after the attack; "This is one of the darkest days in Zamastanian history, by far the darkest in the alliance's history, and this day presents a magnitude of horror that the world has rarely seen. Terrorists of presently unknown affiliation struck at the heart of the south Adula fleet, shredding our ships apart with tremendous fire, leaving destruction and smoldering wrecks in the harbor of Beresa. We stand with the people of Saint Croix and Bens, as well as with all of our allies who have suffered terrible losses today. Our sailors were on duty while in peacetime, and this attack was brought to them at a moment that would otherwise spell a sense of rest. What we have seen in the wake of this horrific attack is the courage, bravery, and servitude of our men and women in the armed forces, who lept from their bunks below decks to the fires above, to save their fellow sailors and their allies aboard other vessels. The Zamastanian government will find those responsible, and with our allies, we will commit all resources neccesary to defeating them and bringing them to justice. The alliance will not stop, no matter what challenge we face, and we will be victorious against our enemies."

International response

Prime Minister Elliott Timbrell of Candatora said "Candatora's government, and the people of all our nation, stands behind the people of Saint Croix and Bens and the WEDA alliance, with whom we share a partnership. I am certain that the Alliance of Nortuan States collectively feels similar, and we denounce this horrific attack."