Lebanese Prime Minister: The improper storage of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate at the port for six years was the primary cause of the massive explosion.

Release Date:

2020-08-05

At around 6:10 p.m. local time on August 4, a powerful explosion rocked Beirut’s port area. Video footage shared on social media showed a massive fire raging at the port, apparently triggering a second blast, with thick smoke blanketing the entire city. The site of the explosion housed industrial and military facilities, as well as a grain silo. According to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health, the blast has left at least 78 people dead and 4,000 injured.

According to a report published by Russia’s Sputnik news agency on August 5, Lebanon’s OTV television, citing sources in the intelligence services, stated that Lebanon’s National Security Agency launched an investigation five months ago after discovering large quantities of ammonium nitrate at the Port of Beirut.

The television station reported: “Five months ago, the national security authorities requested an investigation into the presence of explosives in Warehouse No. 12 at the Port of Beirut.” The investigation concluded that the materials stored in the warehouse were extremely hazardous.

According to sources, the explosives were aboard a vessel flying the flag of an African country; they had been abandoned by the shipper several years earlier due to substantial debts.

Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab stated that the explosion was caused by 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate that had been improperly stored at the port for six years. Ammonium nitrate is primarily used in agriculture as a high-nitrogen fertilizer and is also a powerful explosive, posing hazards even during production and storage. The chemical was also the culprit behind the deadly 2001 explosion at the Toulouse chemical plant.

Source: Interface News

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