Fireworks, ammonium nitrate likely fueled Beirut explosion

An official with the Lebanese Red Cross says at least 100 people were killed and more than 4,000 wounded in the massive explosion in Beirut on Tuesday. The official, George Kettaneh, says the toll could rise further. Fireworks and ammonium nitrate appear to have been the fuel that ignited a massive explosion that rocked the Lebanese capital of Beirut, experts and videos of the blast suggest. The scale of the damage — from the epicentre of the explosion at the port of Beirut to the windows blown out kilometres (miles) away — resembles other blasts involving the chemical compound commonly used as an agricultural fertilizer.