Beirut explosion recalls chemical explosion disaster in Chiang Mai in 1999

[webfact]

Beirut explosion recalls chemical explosion disaster in Chiang Mai in 1999

 

Picture: Sanook

 

The devastating explosion of ammonium nitrate in Beirut, Lebanon this week that killed more than 100 people and injured 5,000 had Thai media recalling a chemical explosion in Chiang Mai in 1999.

 

In September of that year a longan processing plant in San Pa Tong district was completely destroyed when potassium chlorate mixed with other chemicals exploded. 

 

Sanook said 36 workers were killed. A total of 571 houses within a one kilometer radius were damaged and more than 100 members of the public were injured in the blast that caused damage estimated at 103 million baht. 

 

Potassium chlorate is used in promoting the growth of longan or lamyai in Thai. 

 

Following the disaster there were other smaller explosions when the chemical was mixed with other substances. These happened between 2017 and 2019 in Lamphun, Ratchaburi and Chiang Mai. People have been both killed and injured.

 

Sanook reported that potassium chlorate is a controlled substance. 

 

An expert in the field of fertilizers at Chulalongkorn University has said that its use is unnecessary as other products that do just as good a job are available. And they are far less dangerous. 

 

Source: Sanook

 

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[HarrySeaman]

"Those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it."
Winston Churchill

 

"The 1947 Texas City disaster was an industrial accident that occurred on April 16, 1947, in the Port of Texas City, Texas, at Galveston Bay. It was the deadliest industrial accident in United States history and one of history's largest non-nuclear explosions. A mid-morning fire started on board the French-registered vessel SS Grandcamp (docked in the port) and detonated her cargo of about 2,300 tons (about 2,100 metric tons) of ammonium nitrate.^[1] This started a chain reaction of fires and explosions in other ships and nearby oil-storage facilities, ultimately killing at least 581 people, including all but one member of the Texas City fire department.^[2]"

Texas City disaster

[DrTuner]

"Ours was bigger"?

[Bangkok Barry]

5,000 injured in Beirut against 100 Thais in Chiang Mai. 571 homes damaged in Chiang Mai, 300,000 homeless in Beirut. Good comparison.

[Mick501]

5 hours ago, DrTuner said:

"Ours was bigger"?

Everything's bigger in Texas

[CliffH]

The Richard Montgomery in the Thames Estuary would make quite a bang if it blew up.

[torturedsole]

8 hours ago, DrTuner said:

"Ours was bigger"?

Indian has maintained top spot for years with the Bhopal disaster.

 

[tlandtday]

^{This blast is highly suspect.  It was not an accident.  It was detonated.} 

[hotchilli]

17 hours ago, webfact said:

Sanook reported that potassium chlorate is a controlled substance. 

Only in educated hands...

[Bangkok Barry]

6 hours ago, tlandtday said:

^{This blast is highly suspect.  It was not an accident.  It was detonated.} 

You'd better contact the authorities and tell them, and how you know that.

[ChipButty]

Some videos doing the rounds already one I saw an unidentified object flying into that building 

[ChakaKhan]

12 hours ago, Mick501 said:

Everything's bigger in Texas

Reminds me of the President  All Hat--No Cattle...his ego is bigger too

[orchis]

[ezzra]

ammonium nitrate is terrorist favorite explosion compounds to use, cheap and readily available and it have been used countless of times by several terrorist groups, 

On March 11, 1994, what could have been one of the biggest catastrophes in Thai history was averted because of a minor traffic accident. That morning motorcycle taxi driver Boonserm Saendi was clipped by a six-wheel truck. The truck’s driver panicked and fled, leaving the truck abandoned on Chidlom Road outside the Central Department Store, about 250 metres from the Israeli embassy. The vehicle was impounded and almost a week later it was discovered that it was carrying fertiliser and metal tubes filled with enough explosives to devastate several city blocks...

[DrTuner]

4 hours ago, orchis said:

Looks like a standard Hi-So Thai gated community, the ones they like to sell to farangs.

[Dellboy218]

I remember it.  Sounded like Concordes double boom. 

[Dellboy218]

23 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

5,000 injured in Beirut against 100 Thais in Chiang Mai. 571 homes damaged in Chiang Mai, 300,000 homeless in Beirut. Good comparison.

Whilst the numbers will never compare.  I don't think the official figure included a number of Burmese workers.   

[tlandtday]

10 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

You'd better contact the authorities and tell them, and how you know that.

From Time magazine "But the compound itself typically doesn’t detonate on its own and requires another ignition source. "

[Bangkok Barry]

4 minutes ago, tlandtday said:

10 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

You'd better contact the authorities and tell them, and how you know that.

From Time magazine "But the compound itself typically doesn’t detonate on its own and requires another ignition source. "

There have been reports of welders working close by. That would do it.

[DrTuner]

1 hour ago, tlandtday said:

From Time magazine "But the compound itself typically doesn’t detonate on its own and requires another ignition source. "

In the video taken at Beirut you could see fires popping up in the building next door before the big bang. That was probably the ignition source.