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City Reporter
City Commissioner Iftikhar Shallwani has issued directives to the deputy commissioners (DC) and trade association leaders, seeking details about the stocks of ammonium nitrate in the metropolis in the wake of the explosions in Beirut, Lebanon, that killed over 150 people, wounded thousands and left over 300,000 people homeless.
In a letter issued, Shallwani directed all DCs in the city and the chairpersons of the Korangi, Landhi, Federal B Area, SITE, North Karachi and Bin Qasim associations of trade and industry to submit details of the storage of ammonium nitrate and other dangerous dual-use precursor chemicals in Karachi’s port areas and industrial zones at the earliest.
The DCs have been asked to inform the commissioner’s office about the name of the company or factory possessing the chemicals, names of their owners, quantity and nature of the chemicals, the duration of storage and safety measures taken to avoid any untoward incidents.
On August 4, two explosions occurred at the Beirut port, with the powerful second blast sending massive shockwaves through the Lebanese city.
The latter blast has been attributed to the improper storage of approximately 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate at a port warehouse. The chemicals, which can be highly explosive, had been confiscated from the MV Rhosus ship in 2014.
Meanwhile, “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 is because ammonium nitrate is an oxidizer — it intensifies combustion and allows other substances to ignite more readily, but is not itself very combustible.
