Beirut Blast detonated 2,750 tons of chemicals - Video

The president of Lebanon has said that 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate were detonated in massive blasts in Beirut that have killed 78 and injured at least 4,000.

Officials said the chemicals were stored in a warehouse for six years without safety measures.

Ammonium nitrate is a industrial chemical used for fertiliser. It is also used for mining explosives. It is not explosive on its own, but as an oxidizer it can suck oxygen into a fire. It ignites only under the right circumstances. You need extreme circumstances to set off an explosion.