The massive and frightening Beirut explosion warns to also happen in different countries like the United Kingdom. That is the main bothersome issue of British people after the government confirmed that three major plants in the country hold tons of ammonium nitrate. This specific chemical was said to be the main reason why the explosion in Lebanon occurred.
Can the Beirut explosion happen in other countries?
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he visits a construction site in Cheshire, Britain, August 6, 2020.
As said by Tech Times, the ammonium nitrate is a chemical that is considered to be explosive once touched with heat. It was also the alleged cause of the Beirut explosion that killed at least 145 people, according to Lebanon President Michel Aoun.
About 5,000 tons of the said chemicals were found at the center of the explosion. Here's the question: can this explosion happen in other countries too?
Rumors are now spreading that the U.K. may be next to be a victim of a mega-explosion, due to the country's supply of one of the largest quantity of ammonium nitrate.
Daily Mail UK reported that there are at least three major plants located in the country that hold the largest supply of the explosive chemical.
Here's why you should not worry
People walk past damaged buildings and vehicles following Tuesday's blast in Beirut's port area, Lebanon August 5, 2020.
According to the U.K's Health and Safety Executive branch, British people should not be worried about the three major plants of ammonium nitrate.
It turns out, ammonium nitrate is not just used for explosive materials, it also fertilizes plants in the farming industry. That is the main reason why the U.K. has been holding large quantities of this chemical in their territory.
Another fact that they highlighted is that ammonium nitrate will not just explode easily, without a touch of heat or nearby explosive materials. In the case of the Beirut explosion, the chemicals were stockpiled in one place.
"The mistake was they shouldn't have stored it for such a long time in those silos, combined with whatever was the cause of the fire - it was was obviously not highly insulated," said Professor Jackie Akhavan, a specialist in explosive chemistry and the Head of the Centre for Defence Chemistry at Cranfield University.
Dr. Katherine Haxton, Senior Lecturer in Chemistry at Keele University, also supported this claim. She also clarified that the U.K. will not be a victim of possible ammonium nitrate explosion since the country has tighter guidelines about its handling.
"It's natural to feel a bit alarmed by this event. In the UK there are tight guidelines from the Health and Safety Executive on how much ammonium nitrate can be stored and how it must be stored," said her.
Thus, the U.K. government reiterated that there are no possible angles that the country will soon be the next Beirut explosion. That's a sure fact.
