350 Kg Of Ammonium Nitrate Found In Faridabad: What Is This Chemical And Why Is It Dangerous?

Last Updated:November 10, 2025, 13:55 IST

Ammonium nitrate's biggest use is as a source of nitrogen for fertiliser, but it is also used to create explosives for mining

Ammonium nitrate is a white, odourless crystalline substance with the chemical formula NH₄NO₃.

A large seizure near Delhi has renewed questions about one of the world’s most tightly monitored chemicals — ammonium nitrate. About 350 kilograms of the substance were recovered from Faridabad on Sunday night, alongside an assault rifle, ammunition and explosive timers.

The recovery followed a chain of investigations by the Jammu and Kashmir Police. Officers had earlier found another weapon and ammunition in a locker assigned to Mujahil Shakeel, a doctor at the Government Medical College in Anantnag. The tip-off came from Adil Ahmad Rahter, arrested in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, for allegedly putting up posters in Srinagar in support of the banned group Jaish-e-Mohammed.

What Is Ammonium Nitrate?

Ammonium nitrate is a white, odourless crystalline substance with the chemical formula NH₄NO₃. It is produced by reacting ammonia with nitric acid, forming a salt rich in nitrogen. Because of this, it is widely used as a fertiliser that helps crops grow quickly and efficiently.

It is manufactured in large industrial quantities and is relatively inexpensive. The compound also has a second life outside agriculture: its oxygen-rich composition makes it valuable for creating controlled explosions in mining and quarrying.

In short, it is a chemical with legitimate industrial uses but a high potential for harm if mismanaged.

Is Ammonium Nitrate Dangerous?

In its pure form, ammonium nitrate is stable and difficult to ignite. It generally requires an external detonation to explode. The danger comes from its behaviour as an oxidiser — it supplies oxygen that allows other materials to burn more intensely.

Stored safely, it poses little risk. But contamination, high heat or poor ventilation can make it unstable. The larger the quantity, the greater the risk.

Over time, the substance also tends to absorb moisture from the air, causing it to harden into a solid mass. This makes any fire that reaches it more intense and much harder to control.

How And When Does Ammonium Nitrate Explode?

Ammonium nitrate can detonate in two main ways. The first occurs when it is exposed to fire or when a blaze reaches contaminated material. The second happens when it is deliberately mixed with a fuel or another explosive substance.

When combined with fuel oil, it forms ANFO — ammonium nitrate fuel oil — a powerful but inexpensive industrial explosive used in mining and construction. In regulated conditions, ANFO is safe to use. Outside those conditions, the same mix can become a cheap and deadly bomb.

Ammonium nitrate can also react with other volatile substances, even something as common as sugar, if heat and confinement are present. Once detonation begins, the compound’s oxidising nature sustains the reaction, producing an enormous release of energy and heat.

The most devastating modern example was the 2020 Beirut blast. Around 3,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate had been stored in a port warehouse for more than six years before a fire ignited it. Over 200 people were killed and more than 6,000 were injured.

What Happens When Ammonium Nitrate Detonates?

When ammonium nitrate explodes, it releases gases such as nitrogen oxides and ammonia. The expanding gases generate a shock wave powerful enough to destroy buildings.

World’s Worst Accidents Involving Ammonium Nitrate

For nearly a century, ammonium nitrate has been at the centre of some of the world’s most catastrophic industrial disasters.

In 1921, an explosion at the Oppau fertiliser plant in Germany killed 565 people. In 1947, a ship carrying about 2,300 tonnes caught fire in the US port of Texas City, setting off a blast that killed at least 567 and injured more than 5,000. The force of the explosion even triggered a tidal wave.

In 2001, an ammonium nitrate depot exploded in Toulouse, France, killing 31 and injuring 2,500. Twelve years later, a fertiliser plant explosion in Texas killed 14 and injured about 200. In 2015, a warehouse storing ammonium nitrate and other chemicals in Tianjin, China, exploded, killing at least 116.

The 2020 Beirut disaster was the latest in a long list of tragedies showing what can happen when the compound is mishandled.

How Has Ammonium Nitrate Been Used In Bombings?

Beyond industrial accidents, ammonium nitrate has repeatedly appeared in terrorist attacks. It was used in bombings by the Irish Republican Army in London in the 1990s. In 1995, Timothy McVeigh used two tonnes of it to blow up a federal building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people. It was also used in the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings, which left more than 200 people dead.

Many improvised explosive devices used against US troops in Afghanistan contained the same chemical.

How Does India Regulate The Use And Storage Of Ammonium Nitrate?

India regulates ammonium nitrate under the Explosives Act of 1884, with specific rules introduced in 2012. Any mixture containing more than 45 per cent ammonium nitrate by weight, including emulsions, suspensions, melts or gels, is classified as an explosive.

Manufacture, storage, transport and sale require licences, and storage in populated areas is restricted. The rules also control import and export to prevent misuse. These regulations were designed to ensure that the compound remains confined to authorised agricultural and industrial uses, handled only by licensed operators.

Why Is The Faridabad Seizure A Serious Security Concern?

Ammonium nitrate is not illegal, nor does it explode on its own. But its recovery alongside explosive timers and weapons raises obvious concerns. Even without direct contamination, 350 kilograms is a substantial amount capable of being turned into an explosive mixture.

The location adds to the worry. Faridabad is part of the National Capital Region, and any mishandling or misuse of the chemical could have had serious consequences.

Karishma Jain

Karishma Jain, Chief Sub Editor at News18.com, writes and edits opinion pieces on a variety of subjects, including Indian politics and policy, culture and the arts, technology and social change. Follow her @kar...Read More

Karishma Jain, Chief Sub Editor at News18.com, writes and edits opinion pieces on a variety of subjects, including Indian politics and policy, culture and the arts, technology and social change. Follow her @kar...

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