Case in point: the fully loaded oil tanker FSO Safer, which was abandoned in one of the world’s busiest shipping routes last year along the coast of Yemen. This floating bomb could cause massive environmental damage, impede marine traffic and kill hundreds, according to marine safety experts. Loaded with liquid petroleum gas, the tanker lacks enough fuel to keep the cargo refrigerated and port officials warn there is imminent risk of fire. Internationally, there are strict rules mandating that ammonium nitrate should not be stored near fuels or sources of heat. In the United States, regulations over ammonium nitrate were tightened significantly after it was used in the bombing of an Oklahoma City federal building in which 168 people died.

Source: National Post August 08, 2020 09:56 UTC