Former captain of the ship Rhosus, which transported a cargo of ammonium nitrate, Boris Prokoshev called versions of the explosion in the port of Lebanese Beirut. His words are quoted by RBC.
Prokoshev explained that the substance itself could not explode, there was some external reason. “Maybe a spark, maybe arson, an explosive device. There was some kind of external detonator, ”he added.
When asked whether saltpeter could lose its properties in almost six years, the source said that it was stored hermetically and air did not enter the package.
Earlier on August 8, it became known that the ship Rhosus, which delivered ammonium nitrate to the port of Beirut in 2014, sank in early 2018. On board there were about 2.7 thousand tons of the substance, which was planned to be delivered to Mozambique. At the same time, the bags with saltpeter bore the mark of the Georgian company Rustavi Azot LLC. The ship unscheduled arrived in Beirut, where it was detained due to technical problems.
A powerful explosion occurred in the port area on the evening of 4 August. The damage was inflicted on many quarters of the city, the blast wave also hit the Russian embassy. According to the latest data, more than 4 thousand people were injured, at least 300 thousand lost their homes. More than 150 people died. The explosion was allegedly caused by a cargo of ammonium nitrate.
