Chinanews, August 12th, a comprehensive report, at 18:08 on August 11, local time, a church bell rang in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, to mourn the victims of the recent explosion in the Beirut port area. A week ago, on August 4, a large-scale explosion occurred in the Beirut port area at this moment, and 171 people have been killed so far.
According to Agence France-Presse, the Lebanese Ministry of Health stated that the number of deaths from the Beirut bombing incident increased to 171, and the number of missing persons ranged from 30 to 40.
The latest data from the UN refugee agency also pointed out that at least 34 refugees were among the victims, and another 124 refugees were injured. UNHCR is deeply saddened by this and is concerned that the death toll among the approximately 200,000 refugees in Beirut may rise further.
On August 5, local time, after the Beirut port exploded, only one wall was left in a wheat warehouse originally built at the port.
On the evening of the 11th, hundreds of people gathered near the port, mostly wearing white clothes. They brandished signs with the names and nationalities of the victims, some wept, and some suppressed their tears.
On the huge screen, a movie of the big explosion and the subsequent panic scenes was playing, and the area by the port had become a piece of rubble. Many mourners shouted loudly, demanding severe punishment of those involved.
According to statistics, at least 15 medical institutions in Beirut, including 3 large hospitals, have suffered varying degrees of damage, and about 120 schools have been damaged, and about 55,000 students have been affected. The authorities are conducting further damage assessment.
The cause of the explosion has not yet been determined. However, a Reuters report on the 11th pointed out that a senior Lebanese official stated that “before the explosion, the port authorities had sent a group of Syrian workers to the warehouse where the explosives were stored to repair the gate, but there was no supervision in the process.”
The official said that during the work, sparks were generated from welding and the fire began to spread. Fireworks are stored in the same warehouse, and the fireworks ignite the fire and detonate explosives. The official accused the port authorities of failing to supervise maintenance personnel and storing fireworks in warehouses that store large quantities of explosives.
The explosion triggered protests and demonstrations in Beirut. After three days of demonstrations, Lebanese Prime Minister Diab announced the resignation of the entire government on the evening of the 10th.