see url:
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/05/middleeast/beirut-port-explosion-ammonium-nitrate-intl-hnk/index.html
Quote<<<
(CNN)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.
>>>End of Quote
