Lebanon putting Beirut port officials under house arrest after deadly blast
BEIRUT — The Lebanese government says it is putting an unspecified number of Beirut port officials under house arrest pending an investigation into how 2,750 metric tons of ammonium nitrate came to be stored at the port for years.
The move comes amid speculation that negligence was to blame for the explosion that killed more than 100 people.
It is announced following a cabinet meeting today during which the government declared a two-week “state of emergency,” effectively giving the military full powers during this time.
Lebanese health minister says 113 confirmed deaths so far in Beirut blast
Lebanese Health Minister Hamad Hassan tells pro-Hezbollah al-Mayadeen TV that 113 people have so far been confirmed dead in the Beirut Port explosion, with “dozens” remaining under the wreckage.
Netanyahu stresses Israel willing to aid Lebanon after ‘great catastrophe’ in Beirut
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sends condolences to the Lebanese people following yesterday’s deadly blast in Beirut.
“Yesterday there was a great catastrophe,” he says at the beginning of a speech at the Knesset, before being interrupted by the shouts of opposition lawmakers. After several moments, he reiterates Jerusalem’s willingness to send humanitarian aid to the disaster-stricken country.
Netanyahu mentions that Israel has offered aid to Syrians and even to Iran.
“That’s our way,” he says, still being heckled constantly by opposition MKs.
Lebanese confront devastation after huge blast kills 100+, damages half Beirut
BASSEM MROUE and ZEINA KARAM
Residents of Beirut confronted a scene of utter devastation Wednesday, a day after a massive explosion at the port rippled across the Lebanese capital, killing at least 100 people, wounding thousands and leaving entire city blocks blanketed with glass and rubble.
Smoke still rose from the port, where a towering building of silos was half destroyed, spilling out grain. Hangars around it were completely toppled. The blast knocked out a crater some 200 meters (yards) across that filled with seawater — it was as if the sea had taken a bite out of the port, swallowing buildings with it.
Much of downtown was littered with damaged vehicles and debris that had rained down from the shattered facades of buildings.
An official with the Lebanese Red Cross said at least 100 people were killedand more than 4,000 were wounded. George Kettaneh said the toll could rise further.
The blast has left 300,000 people homeless and caused damage across half of the city estimated to cost more than $3 billion, Beirut’s governor said. “I think there are between 250,000 and 300,000 people who are now without homes,” says Marwan Aboud.
The blast appeared to have been triggered by a fire that touched off a cargo of ammonium nitrate that had been stored at the port for years, though it was unclear what sparked the fire. Hitting with the force of an earthquake, it was the most powerful explosion ever seen in the city, which was split in half by the 1975-1990 civil war and has endured conflicts with neighboring Israel and periodic bombings and terror attacks.
Scores of people were missing, with relatives pleading on social media for help locating loved ones. An Instagram page called “Locating Victims Beirut” sprang up with photos of missing, and radio presenters read names of missing or wounded people throughout the night. Many residents moved in with friends or relatives after their apartments were damaged and treated their own injuries because hospitals were overwhelmed.
Saint George University Hospital, one of the major private hospitals in Beirut which had been receiving COVID-19 patients, was out of commission Wednesday after suffering major damage. Patients were evacuated to a nearby field for primary care while staff worked on sending them to other facilities, Dr. Kamal Haddad said. Another doctor, Emile, said 16 staff and patients, including four nurses, were killed in the blast. He declined to give his last name out of privacy concerns.
The blast also wounded a number of UN peacekeepers at the port, including 21 Bangladeshis and one Italian. Two Egyptians and an Australian citizen were known to be among the dead.
“There are no words to describe the catastrophe that hit Beirut last night,” President Michel Aoun said at a Cabinet meeting Wednesday. He vowed an investigation and that those responsible will be punished.
Aoun and Prime Minister Hassan Diab said the government will help find shelter for those who lost their homes and compensate others whose property was damaged.
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