On 4 August 2020, a large amount of ammonium nitrate stored at the Port of Beirut in the capital city of Lebanon exploded, causing at least 218 deaths, 7,000 injuries, and US$15 billion in property damage, as well as leaving an estimated 300,000 people homeless. A cargo of 2,750 tonnes of the substance had been stored in a warehouse without proper safety measures. The explosion was preceded by a fire in the same warehouse.

The blast was so powerful that it physically shook the entire country of Lebanon. It is considered one of the most powerful non-nuclear explosions on record.