But for the compound to figure in an explosion of this magnitude, chemists and explosives experts say a lot has to go wrong.Īmmonium nitrate would only explode on its own if its temperature was rapidly raised to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. And just five years ago, an estimated 800 tons of ammonium nitrate fueled a warehouse explosion that leveled part of a port in the Chinese city of Tianjin, killing 173.Īnnually, the world produces and stores enormous amounts of ammonium nitrate-more than 20 million tons in 2017. In April 1995, American terrorists Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols used two tons of the compound in a truck-bomb attack on the Oklahoma City federal building 168 people were killed. Injuries surpassed more than 5,000 the blast destroyed 500 homes and the smoke from it billowed for days. The ensuing explosion killed some 600 people, including everyone on the dock and ship. Grandcamp-carrying ammonium nitrate, fuel, and ammunition-arrived at the Houston-area port with smoke spewing from its cargo hold. What leveled Beirut on Tuesday sounds eerily similar to descriptions of a massive 1947 explosion in Texas City, Texas. Since 1916, the chemical has been responsible for at least 30 disasters, some accidental and some intentional. What detonated the explosive compound remains unclear-but the Beirut blast is not the first time ammonium nitrate has led to calamity. The shipment was eventually abandoned, and its cargo moved into the hangar where it remained, despite Lebanese custom officials requesting its disposal on at least six different occasions, according to The New York Times. Documents unearthed by Al Jazeera say the ammonium nitrate arrived in Beirut aboard a Russian-owned cargo ship after the vessel experienced mechanical problems at sea. The chemicals reportedly have been sitting by the docks since 2013. Lebanese authorities are blaming the incident on more than 2,750 metric tons of ammonium nitrate, a substance commonly used in fertilizers as well as in explosives for mining and construction projects. Beirut mayor Marwan Abboud told Agence France-Presse that 300,000 people are unable to return to their homes, as the damage covered half the city and could cost up to $15 billion to repair. Two days later, the death toll rose to at least 130 people with another 5,000 injured. The blast registered as magnitude 3.3 on the Richter scale, and caused devastation usually associated with major earthquakes. Cell phone videos also show the shockwave and dust cloud rushing through the portside buildings, leaving behind scenes of carnage in the Lebanese capital. Look closely at footage of downtown Beirut, and you can see the ground warp and buckle just after the blast erupted from the warehouse on August 4.

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