• Ammonium nitrate: what you should know about Beirut explosion

    The scale of the blast – which could be felt as far away as Cyprus – appears similar to other incidents where ammonium nitrate has exploded, experts have said.

    But the chemical, which is used as an agricultural fertiliser, is unable to explode on its own. While it is a powerful fuel for explosions, because it includes both the fuel and oxygen required for a fire – and has been used as such in terror attacks – it still needs to be ignited by heat, since it cannot detonate on its own.

    Early videos suggest the fireworks could have played that role. Videos show a small initial fire, accompanied by the small sparks and pops of fireworks going off, before the large explosion happens and engulfs the city around it.

    Search for survivors as Beirut wakes up to huge devastation – updates
    That larger blast had all the hallmarks of being caused by ammonium nitrate. After it had cleared, orange clouds could be seen, which are probably toxic nitrogen dioxide gas that is released by explosions that involve nitrates.

    The white cloud that came alongside the massive blast and quickly spread through the city appears to be a condensation cloud. Those typically accompany massive explosions in humid conditions, following the shock waves, according to Jeffrey Lewis, a missile expert at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California.

    Source
    The Independent

  • Ammonium nitrate stored linked to catastrophic Beirut explosion – Media

    A warehouse storing thousands of tons of unsecured highly explosive material has emerged as a possible source of the massive blast that ripped through the Lebanese capital on Tuesday, killing at least 100 people, injuring 4,000 and sending a shock wave across the city that damaged buildings and blew out windows up to 10 kilometers (6 miles) away.

    Lebanon’s Prime Minister Hassan Diab said that 2,750 metric tons of ammonium nitrate, which is typically used as an agricultural fertilizer, had been stored for six years at a port warehouse without safety measures, “endangering the safety of citizens,” according to a statement.
    It’s still not exactly clear what led to the ignition that wiped out entire streets across the seaside capital.
    Initial reports in state media blamed the blast on a major fire at a firecrackers warehouse near the port, that likely spread to nearby buildings. However, the Prime Minister’s account appeared to be backed by Lebanon’s General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim, who said a “highly explosive material” had been confiscated years earlier and stored in the warehouse, just minutes’ walk from Beirut’s shopping and nightlife districts.
    As Beirut’s 4 million residents wake to the full horror and scale of the damage to their city, lives, and livelihoods, questions will be asked about why such large quantities of the dangerous chemical were allowed to be stored in the middle of the city without adequate safety measures, and who is responsible.

    Source
    https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/05/middleeast/beirut-port-explosion-ammonium-nitrate-intl-hnk/index.html