A huge blast near the center of Beirut took place yesterday, August 04, leaving 78 killed and roughly 4,000 wounded, Reuters cited officials.
A blaze set off the explosion in the city’s port area, which shattered windows and collapsed apartment balconies, witnesses and security sources said to the news agency.
The cause of the blaze wasn’t immediately clear.
The Lebanese President Michel Aoun said that 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate, used in fertilizers and bombs, had been stored for six years at the port without safety measures, and he said that was “unacceptable”.
He called for an emergency cabinet meeting on Wednesday, August 5.
Prime Minister Hassan Diab, meanwhile, said “those responsible will pay the price,” according to Reuters quoting the source.
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