The powerful warehouse explosion in Lebanon that shook the capital Beirut, killing 135 people and injuring nearly 5,000 in a toll that officials expect to rise as many people are still not traceable raises a big question on storage of chemicals at ports worldwide. As per officials, the explosion was caused by confiscated high explosive material.

 

Lebanon President Michel Aoun said that 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, used in fertilisers and bombs, had been stored for six years at the port without safety measures according to Reuters. 

 

He said that was unacceptable.

 

Even Lebanon Prime Minister Hassan Diab promised there would be accountability for the deadly blast at the dangerous warehouse. He said that those responsible will pay the price.

 

So, the big question is why 2,750 tonnes of Ammonium Nitrate was not stored properly at the port of Beirut.  

 

Ammonium Nitrate is an inorganic molecular entity, the ammonium salt of Nitric Acid and is used as a fertiliser, explosive and an oxidising agent. According to chemical and explosives experts, a large amount of explosives material stored in a building caught fire and fire propagated to the explosives, causing an explosion. 

 

As per experts, the port of Beirut authorities should have talked to the sender or consignee company and followed safety regulations as per safety manual if they were planning to carry out welding work to cover holes in the warehouse so that this accident could have been averted and also loss of life and property could have been saved.