The events leading up to the catastrophic explosion in Beirut, Lebanon that killed more than 135 and injured 5,000, began in November 2013, when the cargo ship MV Rhosus, loaded with 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, made an unplanned stop in Beirut. 

The ship, built in 1986, flying the flag of Moldova, was carrying the cargo to an explosives manufacturing firm in Mozambique. Reportedly, the ship’s owner, a Russian living in Cyprus, lacked the funds to pay the Suez Canal fees, so the ship was diverted to Beirut to pick up a cargo of heavy machinery to earn the additional cash needed to complete the journey. Once in Beirut, the machinery couldn’t be loaded and local authorities cited the ship as unseaworthy. The ship would not be allowed to leave the port until repairs were made.

At this point, the ship’s owner abandoned the ship, crew, and cargo. Most of the crew were allowed to return home. The captain, the chief engineer, a third engineer, and the bosun were held aboard until port fees were paid. In July 2014, the Fleetmom maritime news website featured a story titled, “Crew kept hostages on a floating bomb – m/v Rhosus, Beirut.” As suggested by the headline, the hazard posed by the cargo was well understood.

After being held aboard for almost a year, the remaining crew were finally repatriated. The ammonium nitrate was unloaded into Hangar 12, an unsecured dockside warehouse. The NY Times reports that senior customs officials wrote to the Lebanese courts at least six times from 2014 to 2017, seeking guidance on how to dispose of the ammonium nitrate, but nothing was done.  And as the saying goes, the rest is history, or in this case, needless tragedy. 

Following the blast, a number of Beirut Port Authority officials have been put under house arrest.

And what happened to MV Rhosus?  No one is sure but it is rumored to have sunk in Beirut harbor in 2015 or 2016.