Lack Of Attention To Ammonium Nitrate Is To Blame For Beirut Blast
Photo Courtesy of Hassan Ammar/AP
On Tuesday, at least one hundred killed and thousands injured in an explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, claimed to be caused by ammonium nitrate.
The death toll is continuously rising as victims are still missing after the shock wave ripped through more than 6,000 feet of the city. The explosion happened at a warehouse located on the Mediterranean Sea. The warehouse held 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate which is about 7% the strength of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. The Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards state that facilities storing more than 2,000 pounds of ammonium nitrate are subject to inspections.
Ammonium nitrate is an odorless fertilizer that’s also been the cause of explosions in the past. In 1995, domestic terrorist, Timothy McVeigh, used this fertilizer in the Oklahoma City bombing. The fact that it’s been used to purposefully cause harm in the past leaves people wondering if it was truly an accident, an attack, or simply negligence on part of the warehouse employees and the government.
According to BBC, people criticized the government for not disposing the chemical even though they knew the damage it can cause. Many port officials that were responsible for the storage of the warehouse are now under house arrest. Trump said U.S. military generals told him that it was likely a bomb which led him to believe that it was an attack.
The Prime Minister of Lebanon, Hassan Diab, stands by his statement that it wasn’t an attack but the mishandling of the ammonium nitrate in the facility since 2014. As investigations continue and Lebanese volunteers attempt to clean up the damage, other countries are sending aid to help them recover.
CNN World wrote that the U.S. will send aircrafts over carrying supplies such as food and water. Along with the U.S., French and China are also sending medical assistance and other aid over to Beirut. However, a concern for many is that the assistance will fall into the wrong hands. Many are suggesting the signing petitions will be in vain for Lebanon and that the best way to provide direct support is to donate to nonprofit Lebanese organizations.
In an article with Financial Times, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, said that his priority is providing aid and support. Although, he wants to focus on the economic and political reformation that he’s been demanding for years.
“If reforms are not carried out, Lebanon will continue to sink,” Macron said.