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The investigation into the Beirut explosion is ongoing, but authorities say the cause may already be clear.
The cause is named ammonium nitrate, which comes from a Russian ship that once arrived in the port.
CNN’s according to reports, a Russian-owned vessel called the Rh Rhusus, which had left Georgia and was on its way to Mozambique, had made an unplanned stop in the port of Beirut in 2013, and due to economic problems, the ship’s crew eventually abandoned the ship with its cargo.
Also read: Finland is sending aid to Beirut, which was devastated by the explosion
A ship flying the Moldovan flag stopped in Greece to refuel. At that time, the shipowner told the Russian and Ukrainian sailors that he had run out of money and that they would have to take extra cargo to cover the travel expenses, which led to a detour to Beirut, and the ship was left on that route.
Looking for a businessman
According to Badri Daher, director of customs at the port of Beirut, the cargo remained in the port despite repeated warnings from her and other authorities that the cargo was in response to a “floating bomb.”
According to the latest data, at least 145 people have been killed and 5,000 injured in an explosion in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, on Tuesday night.
Also read: Satellite imagery reveals the extent of the damage from the Beirut blast – the port is literally missing
According to the ship’s captain, now retired Boris Prokoshev, the Russian ship was owned by a company called Teto Shipping, which in turn was owned by Igor Grechushkin, a Khabarovsk-based businessman living in Cyprus, according to crew members.
Grechuskin has a residence permit for Cyprus, where he is known to live. Cypriot authorities are looking for a man. CNN was unable to reach Grechushkin from its local phone number.