Review the video. Notice the RAPIDLY expanding shock wave indicating a VERY high velocity explosion - like det-cord speed explosion, but this was NOT det-cord. Also ammo generates ongoing secondaries/tertiaries etc as more and more stuff blows up real good.
To me, IMHO, this was ONE large ‘lump’ of extraordinarily explosive substance that detonated.
While I used to be a firefighter, I really don’t recall if AN will detonate when ignited. Wasn’t what we studied or encountered. I kinda thought AN needed a detonation (like C4 does) in order for it to explode.
Experts should weigh in - not me.
Let me correct/ amend my post.
AN has an explosive detonation velocity of ‘only’ 2700 m/s, while det cord, pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN, pentrite) explodes at a rate of approximately 6400 m/s.
Peesuming that was AN, it was a LOT of AN, detonated.
I am also not an expert, but I believe AN is not really explosive by itself. It needs to be mixed with Fuel Oil to make an ANFO explosion. Plus, you need a detonator. A simple warehouse filled with fertilizer doesn’t do what the Beirut site did.