Indian customs authorities in the south Indian port city of Chennai have seized a container with 740 mt of ammonium nitrate, according to the Economic Times. The news was reported in the wake of the deadly Beirut explosion on Aug. 4.
Customs authorities said the confiscated tons had been stored at a site about 20 km from Chennai, with no residents living within 2 km of the freight station. “The seized cargo is securely stored and safety of the cargo and public is ensured considering the hazardous nature of the cargo,” they said in a statement late on Aug. 6, according to the Times.
A customs officials said the tons were imported in 2015 by Amman Chemicals, a company based in Tamil Nadu state, and were confiscated on arrival due to an alleged violation of import rules, the Times reported. Ammonium nitrate is used as fertilizer and as explosives for the quarrying industry in India.