A consignment of 740 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that has been lying in a Chennai customs warehouse for around five years is raising some red flags just days after Beirut's catastrophic blast.

On 4 August, an estimated 2,750-tonnes of ammonium nitrate, that had been stored reportedly for over six years in a port warehouse in Beirut, without the proper safety protocols, rocked Lebanon's capital, leading to the tragic loss of over a 100 lives and injured over 5,000 people, not including those who are feared to be still buried under the rubble.

Video footage from the scene of the explosion show a thick cloud of smoke as the blast obliterated the warehouse where the chemical was stored, destroyed entire districts in the capital, and flattened buildings leaving a crater approximately 140 metres wide.
And that's what's raising the alarms about the ammonium nitrate stockpile near Chennai, a city home to around 70 lakh people. In a tweet on 6 August, PMK leader S Ramadoss said, "There is a risk of a similar explosion due to ammonium nitrate in the Chennai warehouse. To prevent this, the ammonium nitrate should be safely disposed of and used for other purposes such as composting!"
What can cause ammonium nitrate explosions? Are there any reasons for Chennai to be alarmed? Tune in to The Big Story!
Producer and Host: Shorbori PurkayasthaEditor: Shelly Walia
Reporting: Smitha TK

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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<div>A consignment of 740 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that has been lying in a Chennai customs warehouse for around five years is raising some red flags just days after Beirut's catastrophic blast.<br>
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<div>On 4 August, an estimated 2,750-tonnes of ammonium nitrate, that had been stored reportedly for over six years in a port warehouse in Beirut, without the proper safety protocols, rocked Lebanon's capital, leading to the tragic loss of over a 100 lives and injured over 5,000 people, not including those who are feared to be still buried under the rubble.<br>
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<div>Video footage from the scene of the explosion show a thick cloud of smoke as the blast obliterated the warehouse where the chemical was stored, destroyed entire districts in the capital, and flattened buildings leaving a crater approximately 140 metres wide.</div>
<div><br>
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<div>And that's what's raising the alarms about the ammonium nitrate stockpile near Chennai, a city home to around 70 lakh people. In a tweet on 6 August, PMK leader S Ramadoss said, "There is a risk of a similar explosion due to ammonium nitrate in the Chennai warehouse. To prevent this, the ammonium nitrate should be safely disposed of and used for other purposes such as composting!"</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>What can cause ammonium nitrate explosions? Are there any reasons for Chennai to be alarmed? Tune in to The Big Story!</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>
<strong>Producer and Host: </strong>Shorbori Purkayastha</div>
<div>
<strong>Editor:</strong> Shelly Walia<br>
<strong>Reporting:</strong> Smitha TK<br>
<br>

</div>
<div>
<strong>Music:</strong> Big Bang Fuzz<br>
<br>

</div>
<div><strong>Listen to The Big Story podcast on:</strong></div>
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<div>Saavn: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?q=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F2oix78C&amp;redir_token=G9sQMbbppKv-LEFD29gDyTmPMzt8MTU3MTM4MDU5NkAxNTcxMjk0MTk2&amp;v=xkpX1V6aUFo&amp;event=video_description">http://bit.ly/2oix78C</a>
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<div>Deezer: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?q=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F2Vrf5Ng&amp;redir_token=G9sQMbbppKv-LEFD29gDyTmPMzt8MTU3MTM4MDU5NkAxNTcxMjk0MTk2&amp;v=xkpX1V6aUFo&amp;event=video_description">http://bit.ly/2Vrf5Ng</a>
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<p>The Big Story is back with a second season!</p>
<p>The news culture of our times is noisy, crowded, and honestly so confusing. This is why we are coming every fortnight on your podcast platforms to help you make sense of the new and now. <br aria-hidden="true"><br aria-hidden="true">With two new hosts, Anjali and Prateek, the second season of The Big Story will feature longer and well-rounded discussions with experts across science, culture, technology, politics, and more. Tune in on your preferred podcast platform!   </p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>Millions of listeners seek out <a href="https://bingepods.com/">Bingepods</a> (Ideabrew Studios Network content) every day. Get in touch with us to advertise, join the network or click listen to  enjoy content by some of India's top audio creators.</em><br><em><a href="mailto:studio@ideabrews.com">studio@ideabrews.com</a></em></p>
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