Beirut explosions
Lebanon to compensate for Beirut blast lost homes, businesses
The compensation will go to owners of homes and businesses damaged in the explosion that left more than 190 dead and devastated swathes of the capital, a source...
Customs director-general Badri Daher has been in detention for more than ten days over the 4 August explosion that killed 177 people, wounded at least 6,500 others, and devastated swathes of the capital.
The explosion revived a street protest movement that had first erupted in October last year against government corruption and a lingering economic crisis.
The state of emergency formally approved by the parliament allows the army to close down assembly points and prohibit gatherings deemed threats to national security.
Reuters reported that the president and prime minister were warned in July about the warehoused ammonium nitrate, according to documents and senior security sources.
Lebanon’s capital city was rocked by the blast at its port last week that killed more than 160 people, injured around 6,000, and displaced about 300,000 people.
Fifteen government leaders including US President Donald Trump took part in the virtual conference hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and the UN, pledging solidarity with the Lebanese people.
The explosion that hit Beirut's port devastated large parts of the Lebanese capital, claiming over 150 lives and wounding some 6,000 people.
The huge explosion that hit Beirut's port devastated large parts of the Lebanese capital, claimed over 150 lives, and wounded some 6,000 people.
The protesters said their politicians should resign and be punished for negligence they say led to Tuesday’s blast, the biggest ever to hit Beirut, that killed 158 people and injured more than 6,000, compounding months of political and economic meltdown.
In an emotional speech during a funeral service for one of his top party officials who died in Tuesday's blast, Samy Gemayel announced his resignation and that of the two other MPs from his Kataeb party.
The entrenched ruling class has come under fire once again since Tuesday's explosion, which killed at least 154 people and devastated swathes of the capital.
Lebanon’s president said the investigation would also weigh if the blast was due to negligence or an accident.
Lebanon's hospitals, already strained by a wave of coronavirus cases and a severe economic crisis, were severely damaged by the blast and have been overwhelmed by casualties.
The bank said the freeze and lifting of banking secrecy would apply to accounts directly or indirectly linked to Beirut Port General Manager Hassan Koraytem, Lebanese Customs Director General Badri Daher and five others.
Protesters had sparked a blaze, vandalised stores and lobbed stones at security forces, according to the state-run National News Agency.
Lebanese authorities said the massive explosion was triggered by a fire igniting 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse at Beirut's port.
French President Emmanuel Macron visited Beirut's harbourside blast zone, now a wasteland of blackened ruins, rubble and charred debris where a 140 metre wide crater has filled with seawater.
"This morning, a decision was taken to create an investigative committee which in four days maximum must provide a detailed report on responsibility -- how, who, what, where? There will be judicial decisions," he told Europe 1 radio.