On 9th November 2025, the Jammu & Kashmir Police recovered 350 kilograms of ammonium nitrate, an odourless, white crystalline chemical used in fertilizers and explosives—from Faridabad near Delhi. The seizure followed the arrests of two doctors from Jammu and Kashmir with suspected terror links, raising serious security concerns in the National Capital Region. Ammonium nitrate, a common agricultural fertilizer, doubles as a powerful industrial explosive when mixed with fuel oils. While itself non-flammable, it can cause catastrophic explosions if mishandled or exposed to fire—a fact tragically demonstrated by the 2020 Beirut blast that killed over 200 people. This video explains what ammonium nitrate is, why it is so dangerous, its history in deadly industrial accidents worldwide, and why strict monitoring is crucial in India. Watch.
00:00350 kilograms of ammonium nitrate, an odourless white crystalline chemical, was recovered from Faridabad near Delhi on the 9th of November 2025.
00:24The seizure followed the arrests of two doctors from Jammu and Kashmir in Haryana's Faridabad and Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur with suspected links to terror outfits.
00:36The seizure sparked concerns about security and public safety in India's national capital region.
00:43So why is this chemical so dangerous? Let's break it down.
00:54What is ammonium nitrate? At its core, ammonium nitrate is a simple salt.
01:00It's made by combining ammonia, a basic household and industrial chemical, with nitric acid, which is highly corrosive.
01:08The result? Ammonium nitrate, a white, water-soluble crystal.
01:13It's not something exotic. In fact, it's mostly known as a key ingredient in fertilizers.
01:19Farmers depend on it because it is a rich source of nitrogen, which helps crops grow faster and stronger and fuels a significant part of global food production.
01:29But besides agriculture, ammonium nitrate is widely used in explosives, especially for mining and construction.
01:38When mixed with fuel oils, it creates a powerful combination, one of the most commonly used industrial explosives worldwide.
01:46However, this dual-use nature is exactly what makes ammonium nitrate a substance of intense regulatory scrutiny.
02:01How dangerous is ammonium nitrate?
02:03While ammonium nitrate itself is not flammable, it is a potent oxidizer, meaning it supplies oxygen to other substances, supporting combustion.
02:13If exposed to high temperatures or shock, especially when contaminated with combustible materials like oil or organic matter, it can detonate catastrophically.
02:25The major risk comes when large quantities are stored improperly or come into contact with fire.
02:31That's why the seizure of 350 kilograms by the police is alarming.
02:36Even small mishandlings of such stockpiles can have disastrous outcomes.
02:41And it's not just theory.
02:43Over the years, accidental ammonium nitrate explosions have claimed thousands of lives, mostly due to lapses in storage and handling.
02:58How did it cause havoc in Lebanon?
03:01No discussion of ammonium nitrate is complete, without mentioning Beirut.
03:05On August 4th, 2020, a fire broke out at a warehouse in the port of Beirut that had stored nearly 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate for six years, without adequate safety measures.
03:20The result was a massive explosion, one of the largest non-nuclear blasts in history, equivalent to about 1.1 kilotons of TNT.
03:30The blast killed at least 218 people, injured over 7,000 and left 300,000 homeless, causing an estimated 15 billion US dollars in damage.
03:41Windows shattered for miles, and the shockwave was felt as far away as Cyprus, over 200 kilometers from the epicenter.
03:50Sadly, Lebanon is not an isolated case.
03:53Ammonium nitrate has a deadly legacy in industrial disasters around the world.
03:58In Tianjin, China, 2015, an explosion at a chemical warehouse killed 173 people and caused widespread urban destruction.
04:10In Texas City, USA, 1947, a cargo ship carrying about 2,000 tons of ammonium nitrate exploded, killing 581 people, the deadliest industrial accident in US history.
04:24In Aupau, Germany, 1921, a fertilizer plant blast of 4,500 tons of ammonium nitrate killed around 500 people and injured thousands.
04:37In Toulouse, France, 2001, a warehouse exploded, claiming 31 lives and resulting in massive property and environmental damage.
04:47These accidents typically had one thing in common, ammonium nitrate stored in bulk, sometimes near combustible materials, and safety protocols that were either inadequate or ignored.
05:00The Jammu and Kashmir police's recent seizure highlights why ammonium nitrate is closely monitored in India.
05:07Given its history in both industrial accidents and its misuse in several terror attacks such as the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, strict regulations are enforced on its storage, sale, and transport.
05:21Authorities treat every suspicious stockpile as a potential threat, not just for public safety, but for national security.
05:30A場所 of the Jammu and Kashmir, are who has been in the military attack, not just for public safety, butéd it's a part of the droplet.
05:37The Jammu'sant atomic bomb-the night-world drug-in-law is buried, and not forли net-world-safety.
05:39The Jammu gets killed since bringing in the military attack was found.
05:43The Jammu'sant atomic bomb-the-world activity rate was found nowadays.
05:46The Jammu can't do anything.
05:47The Jammu has been killed once again, but since the Jammu is buried in the military attack, this must be consideredatu-ability as a largeoder.
05:51The Jammu has had to be interviewed by the Jammu, the Jammu has been guided by the Jammu.
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