Hopes of finding survivors in the port of Beirut are fading five days after the deadly and devastating explosion that struck the Lebanese capital, the Lebanese army said on Sunday.
After several days of "search and rescue operations, we can say that we have finished the first phase, the one offering the possibility of finding living people," said Colonel Roger Khouri, head of the military engineering regiment. , during a press conference. "We continue to have hope but, as technical staff working in the field, we can say that this hope of finding people alive is dwindling."
Evacuation and search operations continue
According to him, "the teams that were working to find survivors consider their work finished." "Other teams will continue to participate with us in the operations of evacuating the rubble and in the search operations" for bodies, continued the colonel.
The explosion on Tuesday of incredible violence was caused, according to the authorities, by 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored for six years at the port of Beirut "without precautionary measures" by the admission of Prime Minister Hassan Diab. It caused a crater 43 meters deep, according to a security source. The drama left at least 158 dead and 6,000 injured, according to the official report
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- Lebanon
- Beirut
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