A collision among a truck transporting ammonium nitrate and some another vehicle on a national highway in northern China caused an explosion that killed 2 people and sent 4 others to hospital on 5 July, as per the Chinese news agency Xinhua. An investigation of the incident is underway.
Ammonium nitrate is typically utilized in both agricultural fertilisers and explosives, however has potential to generate serious explosions. An explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, in August 2020 that killed at least 135 people and injured thousands originated from improperly stored ammonium nitrate. In addition, 165 people died in Tianjin, China, in August 2015, after explosive and hazardous materials that were not effectively stored ignited, including ammonium nitrate. In November 2016, a Chinese court handed down prison sentences to nearly 50 individuals for their roles in the Tianjin port explosion, together with a suspended death sentence.
