Two days after 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate claimed at least 135 lives and injured over 5,000 in Lebanon’s Beirut, concerns have been raised about 740 tonnes of the explosive chemical stored for years on the outskirts of Chennai in Tamil Nadu.
The chemical, worth Rs 1.80 crore, used in manufacturing fireworks and fertilisers is under the custody of the Customs Department and was meant for a group in the fireworks capital of India – Sivakasi.
It was seized in 2015 at the Chennai port and has been there since then.
Chennai Customs has said that Ammonium nitrate is stored safely adding that there is no need to panic.
‘Around 36 containers, each with around 20 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, have been shifted long time ago and now they are under the Customs Department’s control,’ an officer from the Public Relations Department of the Chennai Port said.
‘We have ammonium nitrate at the Sattva container depot. This was illegally imported by Sri Amman Chemicals. We are working to dispose them, and shall give all the details soon,’ a senior Customs Department Officer told NDTV.
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs has directed field offices to verify that all explosive materials in Customs warehouses and ports meet safety and fire standards and pose no danger to people’s lives.
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— CBIC (@cbic_india) August 6, 2020
Pattali Makkal Katchi founder S Ramadoss on August 6 appealed to the government to immediately dispose of the ammonium nitrate, and raised concerns about a Beirut-like situation.
About 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, stored in the Beirut port warehouse, exploded on Tuesday, devastating the Lebanese capital. Early investigations cited negligence for the explosion at the Beirut port. The impact of the twin explosions was such that buildings located in other parts of the city, including Ashrafieh, Gemmayzeh, Mar Michael, Jnah and Ras Beirut, were partly destroyed.
Also Read: Lebanon Explosion: Massive Blast In Beirut Kills Nearly 78, Over 4,000 Wounded
