A powerful blast which consumed several warehouses of chemical explosives in the Lebanese capital of Beirut has prompted Pakistan to introduce restrictions on the storage of ammonium nitrate and other similar chemicals.
The administration of Pakistan’s port city of Karachi has asked manufacturers and suppliers of explosive chemicals to provide details about what they're storing following the Beirut explosion.
In a notification, the Commissioner of Karachi Division has asked Trade and Industry associations in the port city to give “details of storages of Ammonium Nitrate and other dual-use precursor chemicals” available in the port areas and industrial areas.
#BeirutBlast brings several countries into action to clamp restrictions on storage of explosive chemicals. #KarachiAdministration in #Pakistan has sought information from trade & industry on #AmmoniumNitrate and other dual use precursor chemicals. pic.twitter.com/MOvaoGOz9z
— NB Nair (@nbnair) August 10, 2020
India’s national board of Indirect Taxes and Customs – the federal agency which levies and collect duties and taxes and prevents smuggling has also seized a large consignment of chemicals stored in a warehouse in the suburbs of the southern city of Chennai. The consignment imported in 2015 by a Tamil Nadu-based company was confiscated for alleged violation of import regulations.
Ammonium nitrate is an industrial chemical commonly used in fertilisers and as an explosive for quarrying and mining. It is an oxidiser which is considered relatively safe if uncontaminated and stored properly, but extremely dangerous if contaminated, mixed with fuel or stored unsafely.
