Beirut explosion

On the evening of 4 August 2020, a fire at a hangar containing ammonium nitrate in the port of Beirut saw a team of fire fighters dispatched to the scene. This seemingly routine call-out spiralled, resulting in a gigantic explosion, causing devastation for miles around. When stored safely, solid ammonium nitrate pellets are stable so how did they come to explode? This article describes the chain of events leading up to the final explosion that caused the death of more than 190 people and billions of pounds of damage, and provides resources to discuss the chemistry context with 16–18 students.