The powerful explosions in Beirut and Tianjin: 5 years apart; both caused by improper storage of hazardous chemicals

Thousands of tons of highly explosive ammonium nitrate is being explored as responsible for a powerful blast in Beirut, Lebanon that left at least 135 people dead and some 5,000 wounded on August 4, 2020.Five years ago, a massive explosion due to the improper storage of chemicals also struck Tianjin, China on August 12, 2015.

In Beirut the day following the blast, the Lebanese authorities have focused their investigation on how a 2,750-ton cargo of ammonium nitrate was left sitting inside a warehouse since it was confiscated from a Russian ship in 2013. Five years ago, the massive explosion in Tianjin due to the improper storage of chemicals killed 173 people, injured 700, and destroyed hundreds of homes in the densely populated area. Among the deceased were 104 firefighters, considered the largest loss of firefighters on duty in the history of modern China.According PreventionWeb, the explosion at a Tianjin warehouse yard in August 2015 was “one of the most tragic industrial accidents in China.

The blast in Beirut was measured as a magnitude 3.3 quake, while it was equivalent to a 2.2-magnitude tremor in Tianjin. Washington Post reported that concerns have emerged in areas near the blast site in Beirut over the release of potential toxins into the air. However, it noted that inhalation of high concentrations of ammonium nitrate dust can cause respiratory tract irritation, manifested by cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, or even suffocation. When swallowed in high concentrations, ammonium nitrate may cause headache, dizziness, abdominal pain, vomiting, bloody diarrhea, weakness, a tingling sensation, heart and circulation irregularities, convulsions, collapse, and suffocation.

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