Why was ammonium nitrate stored at the port of Beirut?

The 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate were stored at the port of Beirut after the Lebanese government impounded the cargo from the merchant vessel MV Rhosus in 2013.1

The ship, which was traveling from Georgia to Mozambique, docked in Beirut due to technical issues. When the vessel failed to pay required port fees, the government seized its cargo and moved the material into a port warehouse. Despite repeated safety warnings from customs officials regarding the explosive nature of the compound, the ammonium nitrate remained in the warehouse indefinitely. This prolonged storage, characterized by government neglect, ultimately led to the catastrophic explosion on August 4, 2020, after a fire broke out in the vicinity of the warehouse.12