Ammonium nitrate, the chemical that killed more than 150 people and injured more than 5,000 people in the Lebanese capital of Beirut, has been lying at the port of Chennai for the past five years, and not two-three kilos but 740 tons of ammonium Nitrate is kept here.
The Customs Department has issued a statement confirming that ammonium nitrate is kept at the Container Freight Station (CFS) in Manali, 20 km from Chennai.
The cargo was caught in 2015 for violating import regulations and has been lying there since then. The Customs Department has said in its statement, “The seized cargo is kept in a safe place and is dangerous Due to the safety of cargo and people has been ensured. The concerned CFS is 20 km away from Chennai city. There is no residential area within the radius of two kilometers. ”
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PMK leader raised questions
Samay Murali, Joint Commissioner of Customs Department, had to make this statement because PMK Party leader S Ramadoss had raised the threat of the placing of dangerous chemical at Chennai port via Twitter.
PMK leader S. Ramadoss is the father of former Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss. While being the health minister in the Vajpayee cabinet, Ramadoss had banned smoking in public places.
