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Port officials in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, reassured the public on Monday that a ship carrying 20,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate—a potentially explosive chemical—poses no danger to the city or its port facilities. The Barbados-flagged Zimrida, currently moored in the outer harbour, has faced rejection from other ports due to concerns over its hazardous cargo.
According to the port authority, the ship meets all safety conditions, is undamaged, and adheres to international maritime rules. “There is therefore no specific danger in the cargo intended for the Ivorian loader being unloaded in Abidjan port before the ship returns to the sea,” said the authority, adding that necessary precautions have been taken to ensure safety.
The ship’s cargo owner has secured all required state documents to import the controversial ammonium nitrate, typically used as agricultural fertiliser but also capable of being used in explosives.
This cargo is not the first to raise alarms. In 2020, an ammonium nitrate explosion in Beirut killed over 220 people, highlighting the potential risks associated with mishandling such materials.
The Zimrida’s journey has already been complicated, having been turned away from several ports, including in Lithuania and the UK, before arriving in Abidjan. After unloading 8,000 tonnes in Ivory Coast, the ship will continue its voyage to Angola and Tanzania.
