A collision between a truck transporting ammonium nitrate and another vehicle on a national highway in northern China triggered an explosion that killed two people and sent four others to hospital on 5 July, according to the Chinese news agency Xinhua. An investigation of the incident is underway.
Ammonium nitrate is commonly used in both agricultural fertilisers and explosives, but 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 safely 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, including a suspended death sentence.
