The devastating blast in Beirut is yet another blast to the city. The city was supposed to be an economical, cultural and political hub of West Asia but Beirut is struggling to rise from its bloody past. Watch report.

Beirut struggles to rise: City of baffling contradictions

<p>As residents in Lebanon's capital Beirut woke up to find death and destruction in their city with several dead and hundreds still being dug out from the rubble, the ancient city has been set to ruin amid civil unrest and large scale turmoil.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explosion-in-beirut-killed-more-than-100-people-toll-expected-to-go-up-lebanese-red-cross-318276">Also Read:&nbsp;Explosion in Beirut kills more than 100 people, toll expected to go up</a></p>

<p>The civil war which started in 1975 and lasted for nearly 15 years tore apart the city, destroying its secular and cosmopolitan fabric. The exit of French colonials and the resulting shift in demographic of the city resulted in clashes&nbsp;between Palestinian forces led by the Palestine Liberation Organization(PLO) and between Arabs and Muslim Lebanese factions as Isreal and Syria stepped into the devastation.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/world-leaders-pledge-to-help-lebanon-beirut-explosions-pm-modi-donald-trump-318256/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>Although peace was brokered in 1990-91 between various factions but tensions continued to simmer between Sunnis and Shias. During the 80s, Beirut witnessed large scale devastation as Israel launched attacks on PLO bases in Lebanon with support of local militias as rampant hostage-taking and violence overtook the city.</p>

<p><img alt="Beirut" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c75fde9d-b36b-4daa-bde5-de7f154f8ad8" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/BeirutC.jpg" /></p>

<p>Israeli forces first drove through eastern Beirut and then from mid-1982 Israeli forces lay siege outside Beirut even as the United States called on the PLO to withdraw from Lebanon. The situation was made worse with sectarian conflict with refugees becoming casualties in an all-out war with no end.</p>

<p>The faction-ridden city has now been split into various groups even as a ceasefire was brokered in 2006 in the Israeli-Lebanese conflict. With lakhs killed and several hundred displaced and abandoned, Beirut still struggles with the scars of the civil war.</p>

<p><img alt="Beirut" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b8100d54-0795-4e92-9b0d-674fbd55fd56" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Beirut1.jpg" /></p>

<p>After the blasts ripped through the city, Israeli officials said they had nothing to do with it even as Iran-backed Hezbollah&nbsp;also offered support with other countries including Saudi Arabia and Cyprus offering medical aid to residents.</p>

<p>The city which has been reeling in economic hardships and the recent surge in coronavirus cases has now been laid to waste as blasts occurred at port warehouses storing highly explosive material.</p>

<p>President Michel Aoun said that 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate&nbsp;used in fertilisers and bombs&nbsp;had been stored for six years at the port without safety measures.&nbsp;</p>

<p>No group has yet taken responsibility for the blasts even as the city battles to come to grip with the latest massacre.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


As residents in Lebanon's capital Beirut woke up to find death and destruction in their city with several dead and hundreds still being dug out from the rubble, the ancient city has been set to ruin amid civil unrest and large scale turmoil.

As residents in Lebanon's capital Beirut woke up to find death and destruction in their city with several dead and hundreds still being dug out from the rubble, the ancient city has been set to ruin amid civil unrest and large scale turmoil. Also Read: Explosion in Beirut kills more than 100 people, toll expected to go up The civil war which started in 1975 and lasted for nearly 15 years tore apart the city, destroying its secular and cosmopolitan fabric. The exit of French colonials and the resulting shift in demographic of the city resulted in clashes between Palestinian forces led by the Palestine Liberation Organization(PLO) and between Arabs and Muslim Lebanese factions as Isreal and Syria stepped into the devastation. Watch: Although peace was brokered in 1990-91 between various factions but tensions continued to simmer between Sunnis and Shias. During the 80s, Beirut witnessed large scale devastation as Israel launched attacks on PLO bases in Lebanon with support of local militias as rampant hostage-taking and violence overtook the city. Israeli forces first drove through eastern Beirut and then from mid-1982 Israeli forces lay siege outside Beirut even as the United States called on the PLO to withdraw from Lebanon. The situation was made worse with sectarian conflict with refugees becoming casualties in an all-out war with no end. The faction-ridden city has now been split into various groups even as a ceasefire was brokered in 2006 in the Israeli-Lebanese conflict. With lakhs killed and several hundred displaced and abandoned, Beirut still struggles with the scars of the civil war. After the blasts ripped through the city, Israeli officials said they had nothing to do with it even as Iran-backed Hezbollah also offered support with other countries including Saudi Arabia and Cyprus offering medical aid to residents. The city which has been reeling in economic hardships and the recent surge in coronavirus cases has now been laid to waste as blasts occurred at port warehouses storing highly explosive material. 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. No group has yet taken responsibility for the blasts even as the city battles to come to grip with the latest massacre.

Beirut: Lebanon's capital scarred amid civil war and violence

Two enormous explosions devastated Beirut's port on Tuesday, leaving at least 73 people dead and thousands injured.

World leaders pledge to help Lebanon | Beirut explosions | PM Modi | Donald Trump

The massive explosion in Beirut's Lebanon killing at least 100 people and injuring thousands. The death toll is expected to rise even further. Watch report.

Lebanon Blast: Massive explosion rips through Beirut, Ammonium Nitrate cache triggers blast

WION Dispatch: Hospitals in Beirut overwhelmed | Lebanon blast

Fineprint: Deadliest explosion due to Ammonium Nitrate in Beirut

Massive explosion rips through Beirut | 78 killed & 4,000+ injured in blast | Lebanon

<p>The death toll in blasts in Beirut crossed 100 on Wednesday&nbsp;as Prime Minister Hassan Diab vowed that those behind the "catastrophe will pay the price".</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explosion-in-beirut-killed-more-than-100-people-toll-expected-to-go-up-lebanese-red-cross-318276">Also Read:&nbsp;Explosion in Beirut killed more than 100 people, toll expected to go up</a></p>

<p>The blast which was reportedly caused by a fire in a warehouse where 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate was left unsecured created a mushroom-shaped explosion drawing up visions of a nuclear-like disaster.</p>

<p>"I think there are between 250,000 and 300,000 people who are now without homes," Beirut governor Marwan Abboud said while informing that damage to property was between $3&nbsp;billion to&nbsp;$5&nbsp;billion.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/explosion-decimates-beiruts-port-disrupting-the-struggling-countrys-lifeline-318312">See Pics:&nbsp;Explosion decimates Beirut's port, disrupting country's lifeline</a></p>

<p>Several countries including Iran, Israel and Saudi Arabia promised medical aid even as firefighters and aid workers continued to pull the injured out of the vast rubble.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/massive-explosion-rips-through-beirut-78-killed-4000-injured-in-blast-lebanon-318221/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>France said it will send two military planes to Lebanon with search and rescue experts including &nbsp;15 tonnes of sanitary equipment and a mobile clinic equipped to treat 500 people.</p>

<p>Iran's President Hassan Rouhani in a message said: "Tehran is ready to offer medical and medicinal aid and help treat the injured and other assistance," while offering condolences.</p>

<p><img alt="Beirut" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8b7c6ab1-402b-4eee-9455-860f64e62084" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Beirut5.jpg" /></p>

<p>Iran's Red Crescent Society said it would send nine tonnes of food aid including medical supplies to Lebanon. Amid the confusion, rescuers continued to search for survivors as thousands were sent to hospitals across the city already burdened by the coronavirus epidemic.</p>

<p>Officials said the toll was expected to rise even further as bodies were still being dug out from the rubble with several port and custom employees among those killed in&nbsp;the blasts.</p>


The death toll in blasts in Beirut crossed 100 on Wednesday as Prime Minister Hassan Diab vowed that those behind the "catastrophe will pay the price". Also Read: Explosion in Beirut killed more than 100 people, toll expected to go up The blast which was reportedly caused by a fire in a warehouse where 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate was left unsecured created a mushroom-shaped explosion drawing up visions of a nuclear-like disaster.

The death toll in blasts in Beirut crossed 100 on Wednesday as Prime Minister Hassan Diab vowed that those behind the "catastrophe will pay the price". Also Read: Explosion in Beirut killed more than 100 people, toll expected to go up The blast which was reportedly caused by a fire in a warehouse where 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate was left unsecured created a mushroom-shaped explosion drawing up visions of a nuclear-like disaster. "I think there are between 250,000 and 300,000 people who are now without homes," Beirut governor Marwan Abboud said while informing that damage to property was between $3 billion to $5 billion. See Pics: Explosion decimates Beirut's port, disrupting country's lifeline Several countries including Iran, Israel and Saudi Arabia promised medical aid even as firefighters and aid workers continued to pull the injured out of the vast rubble. Watch: France said it will send two military planes to Lebanon with search and rescue experts including 15 tonnes of sanitary equipment and a mobile clinic equipped to treat 500 people. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani in a message said: "Tehran is ready to offer medical and medicinal aid and help treat the injured and other assistance," while offering condolences. Iran's Red Crescent Society said it would send nine tonnes of food aid including medical supplies to Lebanon. Amid the confusion, rescuers continued to search for survivors as thousands were sent to hospitals across the city already burdened by the coronavirus epidemic. Officials said the toll was expected to rise even further as bodies were still being dug out from the rubble with several port and custom employees among those killed in the blasts.

Beirut blasts: Over 100 killed as PM Hassan Diab vows those responsible will 'pay the price'

<p>The horrifying blast in Lebanon’s Beirut on Tuesday killed more than 100 people, as per the Lebanese Red Cross with numbers expected to shoot up. More than 400 people have been injured in the blast after a giant smoke could was seen at the site, before high speed shockwaves impacted the nearby areas of the city’s port.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Indian cricketers including the likes of Virat Kohli, Dinesh Karthik, KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Ravindra Jadeja, Manoj Tiwary, Yuvraj Singh among others reacted to the devastating blast in Beirut as they condoled the loss of over 100 lives in the Lebanese city.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“Heartbreaking and shocking. My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Lebanon,” Indian captain Virat Kohli wrote.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explosion-in-beirut-killed-more-than-100-people-toll-expected-to-go-up-lebanese-red-cross-318276" hreflang="en">Explosion in Beirut killed more than 100 people: Lebanese Red Cross</a></strong></p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Heartbreaking and shocking. My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Lebanon.🙏🇱🇧</p>
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli/status/1290896443432001536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>“Disturbing visuals coming out of #Lebanon Thoughts are with the people who lost and are injured in the explosion. God bless the souls of the lost ones. Sometimes tears are words the heart can't express #BeirutBlast,” veteran Manoj Tiwary tweeted.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Disturbing visuals coming out of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Lebanon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Lebanon</a> Thoughts are with the people who lost and are injured in the explosion. God bless the souls of the lost ones 🙏 Sometimes tears are words the heart can't express <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BeirutBlast?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BeirutBlast</a></p>
— MANOJ TIWARY (@tiwarymanoj) <a href="https://twitter.com/tiwarymanoj/status/1290740141837946893?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>“This looks scary. Just can't imagine how many people are going to be injured or even worse . Phewwwww that too during this pandemic . Can't imagine what Lebanon as a country must be going through,” Dinesh Karthik wrote.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/explosion-decimates-beiruts-port-disrupting-the-struggling-countrys-lifeline-318312">IN PICS: Explosion decimates Beirut's port - the lifeline of Lebanon</a></p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">This looks scary. Just can't imagine how many people are going to be injured or even worse . Phewwwww that too during this pandemic . Can't imagine what Lebanon as a country must be going through <a href="https://t.co/xSu70Yd7XC">https://t.co/xSu70Yd7XC</a></p>
— DK (@DineshKarthik) <a href="https://twitter.com/DineshKarthik/status/1290719756190756864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Devastating and heartbreaking visuals from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Beirut?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Beirut</a>. Can’t even fathom what the locals would have witnessed and gone through. I pray for those who lost their lives and for the injured. 2020 has really brought us to our knees. Our world needs healing 🙏🏻</p>
— Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12) <a href="https://twitter.com/YUVSTRONG12/status/1290718389766250496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="und">OMG 😮 <a href="https://t.co/nrG3Iy2cec">https://t.co/nrG3Iy2cec</a></p>
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketaakash/status/1290695806991777792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Praying for the people of Beirut. My condolences to the families who lost their loved ones. RIP 🙏🏻</p>
— Kuldeep yadav (@imkuldeep18) <a href="https://twitter.com/imkuldeep18/status/1290916148347678720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="es">Horrific !! <a href="https://t.co/LPH0SWQhLN">https://t.co/LPH0SWQhLN</a></p>
— Mithali Raj (@M_Raj03) <a href="https://twitter.com/M_Raj03/status/1290878075954057216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Loss of life is always tragic. My deepest condolences. Praying for the people of Lebanon🙏🙏</p>
— Ravindrasinh jadeja (@imjadeja) <a href="https://twitter.com/imjadeja/status/1290887009846861824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">My thoughts and prayers are with the people who have been effected by the massive explosion in Lebanon. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThoughtsWithLebanon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ThoughtsWithLebanon</a></p>
— Mayank Agarwal (@mayankcricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/mayankcricket/status/1290897763182317568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>The horrific blast is seen as a major blow to Lebanon, which is already suffering due to COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Until now over 4,000 people have been injured and over 100 have lost their lives. Our teams are still conducting search and rescue operations in the surrounding areas," a statement said.</p>

<p>Michel Aoun, the president has claimed that 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate was being stored for six years with no safety measures, calling it “unacceptable”.</p>

<p>The blast hit Beirut at 6 pm local time (1500 GMT), following which a fire continue to blaze across the port district, which cast an orange glow in the night sky.</p>


The horrifying blast in Lebanon’s Beirut on Tuesday killed more than 100 people, as per the Lebanese Red Cross with numbers expected to shoot up. More than 400 people have been injured in the blast after a giant smoke could was seen at the site, before high speed shockwaves impacted the nearby areas of the city’s port.

The horrifying blast in Lebanon’s Beirut on Tuesday killed more than 100 people, as per the Lebanese Red Cross with numbers expected to shoot up. More than 400 people have been injured in the blast after a giant smoke could was seen at the site, before high speed shockwaves impacted the nearby areas of the city’s port. Indian cricketers including the likes of Virat Kohli, Dinesh Karthik, KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Ravindra Jadeja, Manoj Tiwary, Yuvraj Singh among others reacted to the devastating blast in Beirut as they condoled the loss of over 100 lives in the Lebanese city. “Heartbreaking and shocking. My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Lebanon,” Indian captain Virat Kohli wrote. ALSO READ: Explosion in Beirut killed more than 100 people: Lebanese Red Cross Heartbreaking and shocking. My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Lebanon.🙏🇱🇧 — Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) August 5, 2020 × “Disturbing visuals coming out of #Lebanon Thoughts are with the people who lost and are injured in the explosion. God bless the souls of the lost ones. Sometimes tears are words the heart can't express #BeirutBlast,” veteran Manoj Tiwary tweeted. Disturbing visuals coming out of #Lebanon Thoughts are with the people who lost and are injured in the explosion. God bless the souls of the lost ones 🙏 Sometimes tears are words the heart can't express #BeirutBlast — MANOJ TIWARY (@tiwarymanoj) August 4, 2020 × “This looks scary. Just can't imagine how many people are going to be injured or even worse . Phewwwww that too during this pandemic . Can't imagine what Lebanon as a country must be going through,” Dinesh Karthik wrote. IN PICS: Explosion decimates Beirut's port - the lifeline of Lebanon This looks scary. Just can't imagine how many people are going to be injured or even worse . Phewwwww that too during this pandemic . Can't imagine what Lebanon as a country must be going through https://t.co/xSu70Yd7XC — DK (@DineshKarthik) August 4, 2020 × Devastating and heartbreaking visuals from #Beirut. Can’t even fathom what the locals would have witnessed and gone through. I pray for those who lost their lives and for the injured. 2020 has really brought us to our knees. Our world needs healing 🙏🏻 — Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12) August 4, 2020 × OMG 😮 https://t.co/nrG3Iy2cec — Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) August 4, 2020 × Praying for the people of Beirut. My condolences to the families who lost their loved ones. RIP 🙏🏻 — Kuldeep yadav (@imkuldeep18) August 5, 2020 × Horrific !! https://t.co/LPH0SWQhLN — Mithali Raj (@M_Raj03) August 5, 2020 × Loss of life is always tragic. My deepest condolences. Praying for the people of Lebanon🙏🙏 — Ravindrasinh jadeja (@imjadeja) August 5, 2020 × My thoughts and prayers are with the people who have been effected by the massive explosion in Lebanon. #ThoughtsWithLebanon — Mayank Agarwal (@mayankcricket) August 5, 2020 × The horrific blast is seen as a major blow to Lebanon, which is already suffering due to COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis. "Until now over 4,000 people have been injured and over 100 have lost their lives. Our teams are still conducting search and rescue operations in the surrounding areas," a statement said. Michel Aoun, the president has claimed that 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate was being stored for six years with no safety measures, calling it “unacceptable”. The blast hit Beirut at 6 pm local time (1500 GMT), following which a fire continue to blaze across the port district, which cast an orange glow in the night sky.

Beirut explosion: Cricket fraternity mourns devastating incident in Lebanon

<p>Ammonium nitrate, which Lebanese authorities have said caused the devastating&nbsp;Beirut&nbsp;blast, is an odorless crystalline substance commonly used as a fertilizer that has been the cause of numerous industrial explosions over the decades.&nbsp;</p>

<p>These include notably at a Texas fertilizer plant in 2013 that killed 15 and was ruled deliberate, and another at a chemical plant in Toulouse, France in 2001 that killed 31 people but was accidental.</p>

<p><strong>Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/explosion-decimates-beiruts-port-disrupting-the-struggling-countrys-lifeline-318312" hreflang="en">Explosion decimates Beirut's port, disrupting the struggling country's lifeline</a></strong></p>

<p>When combined with fuel oils, ammonium nitrate creates a potent explosive widely used in the construction industry, but also by insurgent groups such as the Taliban for improvised explosives.</p>

<p>Two tonnes of it was used to create the bomb in the 1995 Oklahoma City attack that destroyed a federal building, leaving 168 people dead.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/explosion-decimates-beiruts-port-disrupting-the-struggling-countrys-lifeline-318312" hreflang="en">Explosion decimates Beirut's port, disrupting the struggling country's lifeline</a></strong></p>

<p>Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab said 2,750 metric tons of ammonium nitrate that had been stored for years in a&nbsp;Beirut&nbsp;portside warehouse had blown up, killing dozens of people and causing widespread damage to the Lebanese capital.</p>

<p>In agriculture, ammonium nitrate fertilizer is applied in granule form and quickly dissolves under moisture, allowing nitrogen, which is key to plant growth,&nbsp;to be released into the soil.</p>

<p>However, under normal storage conditions and without very high heat, it is difficult to ignite ammonium nitrate, Jimmie Oxley, a chemistry professor at the University of Rhode Island, told AFP.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explosion-in-beirut-killed-more-than-100-people-toll-expected-to-go-up-lebanese-red-cross-318276" hreflang="en">Explosion in Beirut killed more than 100 people, toll expected to go up: Lebanese Red Cross</a></strong></p>

<p>"If you look at the video (of the&nbsp;Beirut&nbsp;explosion), you saw the black smoke, you saw the red smoke, that was an incomplete reaction," she said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I am assuming that there was a small explosion that instigated the reaction of the ammonium nitrate, whether that small explosion was an accident or something on purpose I haven't heard yet."</p>

<p>That's because ammonium nitrate is an oxidizer, it intensifies combustion and allows other substances to ignite more readily, but is not itself very combustible.</p>

<p>For these reasons, there are generally very strict rules about where it can be stored: for example, it must be kept away from fuels and sources of heat.</p>

<p>In fact, many countries in the European Union require that calcium carbonate to be added to ammonium nitrate to create calcium ammonium nitrate, which is safer.</p>

<p>In the United States, regulations were tightened significantly after the Oklahoma City attack.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Under the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards, for example, facilities that store more than 2,000 pounds (900 kilograms) of ammonium nitrate are subject to inspections.</p>

<p>Despite its dangers, Oxley said legitimate uses of ammonium nitrate in agriculture and construction have made it indispensable.</p>

<p>"We wouldn't have this modern world without explosives, and we wouldn't feed the population we have today without ammonium nitrate fertilizer," she said.</p>

<p>"We need ammonium nitrate, we just need to pay good attention to what we're doing with it."</p>


Ammonium nitrate, which Lebanese authorities have said caused the devastating Beirut blast, is an odorless crystalline substance commonly used as a fertilizer that has been the cause of numerous industrial explosions over the decades.

Ammonium nitrate, which Lebanese authorities have said caused the devastating Beirut blast, is an odorless crystalline substance commonly used as a fertilizer that has been the cause of numerous industrial explosions over the decades. These include notably at a Texas fertilizer plant in 2013 that killed 15 and was ruled deliberate, and another at a chemical plant in Toulouse, France in 2001 that killed 31 people but was accidental. Also see: Explosion decimates Beirut's port, disrupting the struggling country's lifeline When combined with fuel oils, ammonium nitrate creates a potent explosive widely used in the construction industry, but also by insurgent groups such as the Taliban for improvised explosives. Two tonnes of it was used to create the bomb in the 1995 Oklahoma City attack that destroyed a federal building, leaving 168 people dead. Also read: Explosion decimates Beirut's port, disrupting the struggling country's lifeline Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab said 2,750 metric tons of ammonium nitrate that had been stored for years in a Beirut portside warehouse had blown up, killing dozens of people and causing widespread damage to the Lebanese capital. In agriculture, ammonium nitrate fertilizer is applied in granule form and quickly dissolves under moisture, allowing nitrogen, which is key to plant growth, to be released into the soil. However, under normal storage conditions and without very high heat, it is difficult to ignite ammonium nitrate, Jimmie Oxley, a chemistry professor at the University of Rhode Island, told AFP. Also read: Explosion in Beirut killed more than 100 people, toll expected to go up: Lebanese Red Cross "If you look at the video (of the Beirut explosion), you saw the black smoke, you saw the red smoke, that was an incomplete reaction," she said. "I am assuming that there was a small explosion that instigated the reaction of the ammonium nitrate, whether that small explosion was an accident or something on purpose I haven't heard yet." That's because ammonium nitrate is an oxidizer, it intensifies combustion and allows other substances to ignite more readily, but is not itself very combustible. For these reasons, there are generally very strict rules about where it can be stored: for example, it must be kept away from fuels and sources of heat. In fact, many countries in the European Union require that calcium carbonate to be added to ammonium nitrate to create calcium ammonium nitrate, which is safer. In the United States, regulations were tightened significantly after the Oklahoma City attack. Under the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards, for example, facilities that store more than 2,000 pounds (900 kilograms) of ammonium nitrate are subject to inspections. Despite its dangers, Oxley said legitimate uses of ammonium nitrate in agriculture and construction have made it indispensable. "We wouldn't have this modern world without explosives, and we wouldn't feed the population we have today without ammonium nitrate fertilizer," she said. "We need ammonium nitrate, we just need to pay good attention to what we're doing with it."

Ammonium nitrate: Fertilizer behind many industrial accidents