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Beirut blast: Confiscated ammonium nitrate from ship in 2014 could have sparked deadly explosion [pics]
india Today ^ | 08/05/2020 | Col Vinayak Bhat 

Posted on 08/05/2020 10:58:16 AM PDT by BenLurkin

The ship owned by a Russian born Cyprus citizen Mr Grechushkin Igor with was travelling under a Moldovan flag.

The crew was Ukrainian with Russian Master which authorities thought was doubtful.

After a proper inspection, it was found to be carrying 2750 tons of ammonium nitrate considered highly dangerous cargo.

The vessel was impounded with the crew staying on the vessel until the proceedings were completed.

The Russian and Ukrainian authorities washed their hands off the incident. The crew and ship remained stranded at the Beirut Port.

In May 2014, the dangers of having a floating bomb parked at the port were brought to public notice by many media articles available online.

It is not only shocking but intriguing as to why the disposal of these Nitroprill HD bags could not be found. Many letters were written by the Port authorities to hand it over to the Army.

The Nitroprill HD indicating high density is probably physically robust porous prill with a built-in resistance to breakdown due to temperature cycling and abrasion as indicated by western experts.

The obvious choice of auctioning or reselling the impounded goods was not available in this case goods being extremely dangerous category.

(Excerpt) Read more at indiatoday.in ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Russia
KEYWORDS: ammoniumnitrate; beirut; cyprus; grechushkin; lebanon; nitropil; nitropril; nitroprilhd; nitroprill; nitroprillhd; russia
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To: montag813

Bibi alleged they were doing just that at this location.


You think Israel may have actually had a hand in this? I was wondering if this was, in fact, the mother of terrorist “work accidents”. I can see Israel helping it along.


21 posted on 08/05/2020 11:39:54 AM PDT by cuban leaf (The political war playing out in every country now: Globalists vs Nationalists)
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To: Seruzawa

Ammonium nitrate is an oxidant. You don’t get an explosion like the one we saw without adding it to something that can be oxidized. Diesel fuel, paraffin wax, etc.

My guess is this was the basis of a Hezbollah project for a major strike against Israel, but the Israelis got to them first, using whatever new technology has been bedeviling the Iranian nuclear program lately. Rods from God, perhaps?


22 posted on 08/05/2020 11:40:44 AM PDT by ccmay (Too much Law; not enough Order.)
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To: cuban leaf
You think Israel may have actually had a hand in this?

I'm not sure. There are reports of Hezbollah soldiers "around" the container, and some (unconfirmed) claims an official of the group was on site, so it could have been targeted. But Israel is loathe to strike Lebanon, and has avoided Beirut for decades. Their activity has been defensive, on the Northern border, dealing with infiltrations.

23 posted on 08/05/2020 11:45:24 AM PDT by montag813 (Nonsenze)
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To: BenLurkin
The vessel was impounded with the crew staying on the vessel until the proceedings were completed.

In retrospect, a very bad idea. They should have sent it out to sea immediately and banned the vessel from ever entering Beruit port again.

24 posted on 08/05/2020 11:55:52 AM PDT by PGR88
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To: ccmay; All

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammonium_nitrate_disasters


25 posted on 08/05/2020 12:05:08 PM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire. Or both.)
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To: Red Badger

Yup, and mix it with diesel fuel and you get..

All you need to do is set it off with a blasting cap or something.


26 posted on 08/05/2020 12:18:28 PM PDT by crz
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To: ccmay

No, it can blow up all on its own. The oxygen in the NO3 is perfectly adequate to decompose the NH4. Not likely if it’s completely pure and dry. But 6 years in a dank ships hold can easily produce moisture, and as fertilizer, it’s probably not lab-grade purity to begin with. The decomposition of the NH4 is super exothermic and at least partially produces NO2, quite flammable. Once the reaction gets going, it runs away.


27 posted on 08/05/2020 12:41:52 PM PDT by Attention Surplus Disorder (Apoplectic is where we want them)
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To: Attention Surplus Disorder
But 6 years in a dank ships hold can easily produce moisture

The materials spent the last 6 years sitting in bags in a warehouse along the waterfront. The materials reportedly were produced in Australia as an explosive ingredient, not a fertilizer, and then ended up in the warehouse when the ship they were on came into the port with mechanical problems.

Supposedly the materials were on the way from the country of Georgia to Mozambique.

28 posted on 08/05/2020 1:31:34 PM PDT by freeandfreezing
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To: BenLurkin
Prills are formed by allowing drops of the melted prill substance to congeal or freeze in mid-air after being dripped from the top of a tall prilling tower.

Think shotgun pellets. Dropped from the shot tower into water.

29 posted on 08/05/2020 1:33:18 PM PDT by JimRed (TERM LIMITS, NOW! Build the Wall Faster! TRUTH is the new HATE SPEECH.)
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To: BenLurkin
Prills are formed by allowing drops of the melted prill substance to congeal or freeze in mid-air after being dripped from the top of a tall prilling tower.

Think shotgun pellets. Dropped from the shot tower into water.

30 posted on 08/05/2020 1:33:41 PM PDT by JimRed (TERM LIMITS, NOW! Build the Wall Faster! TRUTH is the new HATE SPEECH.)
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To: BenLurkin

My guess is that the Muslim terrorists were building the MOABs to hit Israel when someone lit a Camel on break.


31 posted on 08/05/2020 1:47:41 PM PDT by RetiredTexasVet (Slow Joe Biden is the Bolshevik sock puppet.)
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