Fireworks, Ammonium Nitrate Likely Fueled Beirut Explosion

Fireworks and ammonium nitrate appear to have been the fuel that ignited a massive explosion that rocked the Lebanese capital of Beirut.

A Lebanese army helicopter throw water at the scene where an explosion hit the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon on Aug. 5, 2020. Hussein Malla/AP Photo

Fireworks and ammonium nitrate appear to have been the fuel that ignited a massive explosion that rocked the Lebanese capital of Beirut, experts and videos of the blast suggest.

The scale of the damage—from the epicenter of the explosion at the port of Beirut to the windows blown out kilometers (miles) away—resembles other blasts involving the chemical compound commonly used as an agricultural fertilizer.