A ship en route from Russia to Spain with a potentially explosive cargo of 20,000 tons of ammonium nitrate has caused concern in northern Norway after it ran into difficulties early in its voyage.
The Malta-flagged, 37,000 dwt Ruby open hatch carrier sought a port of refuge at the port of Tromso in the far north of Norway after it ran into a severe storm. However, as it emerged what the ship was carrying authorities demanded the vessel leave the port and head to anchor further away to undergo repairs, according to the Barents Observer.
Ammonium nitrate has been responsible for some of the largest shipping-related explosions of all time including the 2020 destruction of much of the port of Beirut and the 1947 Texas City disaster in Galveston Bay, one of the deadliest industrial accidents recorded in the US.
