August 6, 2020: A number of Beirut port officials are being placed under house arrest pending an investigation into Tuesday's huge explosion, sources says.
The cause of the explosion was not immediately clear, but officials link the blast to some 2,750 tonnes of confiscated ammonium nitrate that had been stored in a port warehouse at the port for six years.
The explosion sent shockwaves through the Lebanese capital, killing at least 135 people and injuring 5,000 more.
Sources said they expect the death toll to rise further as emergency workers dig through the rubble to search for survivors.
More than 300,000 people lost their homes, and the Governor of Beirut Marwan Abboud said losses from the blast are estimated to be between $10bn to $15bn.
Lebanon's cabinet has declared a two-week state of emergency in the capital and handed control of security in the city to the military.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
August 6, 2020: A number of Beirut port officials are being placed under house arrest pending an investigation into Tuesday's huge explosion, sources says.
August 6, 2020: A number of Beirut port officials are being placed under house arrest pending an investigation into Tuesday's huge explosion, sources says.
The cause of the explosion was not immediately clear, but officials link the blast to some 2,750 tonnes of confiscated ammonium nitrate that had been stored in a port warehouse at the port for six years.
Sources said they expect the death toll to rise further as emergency workers dig through the rubble to search for survivors.
More than 300,000 people lost their homes, and the Governor of Beirut Marwan Abboud said losses from the blast are estimated to be between $10bn to $15bn.
Lebanon's cabinet has declared a two-week state of emergency in the capital and handed control of security in the city to the military.