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The number of victims is still feared to rise, as rescue and clearing work is still underway in the city and dozens of people are missing. PAGE / AFP Patrick Baz
At least 135 people have died in an explosion in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, on Tuesday night. The country’s health minister, Hamad Hassan, told the television channel, according to CNN.
In addition, more than 5,000 people have been injured in the accident. The number of casualties is still feared to rise as rescue and clearing work is still underway in the city and dozens of people are still missing.
Local authorities have estimated that the blast left at least 300,000 people homeless and the material damage is in the billions of dollars.
A huge explosion was caused on Wednesday by estimates that a fire broke out in the harbor, igniting ammonium nitrate stored in another storage building. Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab confirmed after the accident that a huge amount of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate was stored in the port.
Authorities warned of the dangerous substance for years
According to unconfirmed information, ammonium nitrate was once seized from a ship that entered the port. According to the New York Times, the Russian-owned ship had made an unplanned stop at the port of Beirut in 2013, and due to financial problems, the ship’s crew eventually abandoned the ship with its cargo.
According to documents released to several international media outlets, the Lebanese customs authorities wrote to the courts at least six times during 2014-2017 about the removal of dangerous cargo left in the port.
Authorities suggested, among other things, removing the substance from the country or donating it to the country’s army. However, the judiciary never responded to customs, but ordered the transfer of the dangerous substance to a suitable facility for guarded storage.
The flammable material was later transferred from the ship to the storage building where the huge explosion occurred.
Among other things, the BBC said on Wednesday that the authorities responsible for port storage and security had been placed under house arrest following an investigation into the devastating explosion.
An explosion investigation has also been launched in France. Authorities said on Wednesday that more than 20 French citizens were injured in the blast, according to current data.