Yesterday, the Lebanese capital, Beirut, woke up under the shock of a large explosion that killed more than 135 people and wounded 5,000, destroyed half of the city and estimated losses of five billion dollars, in addition to displacing about 300 thousand people. The Lebanese government declared a state of emergency in the capital For two weeks, while many countries solidarity with Lebanon to send urgent aid.
The Lebanese Minister of Health, Hamad Hassan, announced that the death toll of the explosions that took place in Beirut Port increased to 135, and said that the explosions resulted in the injury of about 5,000 people, many of whom were moderately to severely injured, while the search continued for missing persons under the rubble, especially in the vicinity of Beirut Port .
The Lebanese government decided, after an exceptional meeting, the state of emergency, in Beirut for a period of two weeks, provided that the highest military authority immediately takes over the authority to maintain security, and all armed forces are at their disposal.
At the site of the explosion, which the residents felt to reach the island of Cyprus, 200 km from the place, yesterday morning's tragedy remained tragic. In Beirut port, bodies and bodies were seen, and the containers turned into rubble. In the streets and neighborhoods of the capital, it was possible to see destroyed cars left in the roads, wounded covered in blood, and scattered glass everywhere.
With the support of the security forces, rescuers worked all night in search of survivors or victims trapped under the rubble. Hospitals that deal mainly with the emerging epidemic of Corona virus (Covid-19) have reached their maximum capacity.
The Lebanese Prime Minister, Hassan Diab, declared national mourning for the "victims of the explosion", and sent an urgent appeal to all friendly and brotherly countries that love Lebanon, to stand by Lebanon.
The Lebanese Supreme Defense Council recommended that Beirut be declared a disaster-stricken city in the wake of the massive explosion, and a council statement, broadcast live, stated that President Michel Aoun decided to "liberate the extraordinary accreditation stipulated in Article 85 of the Constitution and the budget in 2020, which amounts to 100 billion Lebanese pounds. It is intended for exceptional and urgent circumstances.
The council also recommended that a commission be appointed to investigate the explosion, with the results to be presented within five days.
The Lebanese government requested the imposition of “house arrest” on all those involved in the ammonium nitrate file, which large quantities of it stored in Beirut port, caused the explosion, and the Lebanese Minister of Information, Manal Abdel Samad, said during the readings of the cabinet’s decisions: “He requests the high military authority to impose house arrest Whoever manages the affairs of storing and guarding the ammonium material and examines its files, whatever it is, from its arrival in Beirut in 2014 until the date of the explosion ».
Lebanese President Michel Aoun made an inspection tour at the site of the explosion in Beirut Port, while Prime Minister Hassan Diab said, "Investigations have started, and all those responsible for the explosion will be held accountable."
The Governor of Beirut, Marwan Aboud, announced that about 300,000 people have been displaced in the Lebanese capital, which has been devastated by the explosion of the Beirut port, about half of its area, causing damage that exceeds five billion dollars. Abboud told AFP: "I think that there are between 250 and 300 thousand people who have gone without homes, their homes have become uninhabitable," noting that he estimates the cost of the damage at between three and five billion dollars, and pending the issuance of the final reports by engineers and experts. He added: «About half of Beirut was damaged or destroyed. "It is a catastrophic situation that Beirut has not seen in its history."
Urgent medical assistance and field hospitals began arriving in Lebanon yesterday, while the countries of the world rushed to offer their aid and offer their condolences after the explosion that shook Beirut the day before yesterday.
Urgent medical assistance that Kuwait sent to Beirut arrived yesterday morning, and the Jordanian King Abdullah II ordered to prepare a field military hospital to send to Lebanon, stressing that the hospital "will include all medical specialties and teams, to contribute to providing medical and treatment services, and to support the brothers in Lebanon."
For its part, the Dutch authorities announced that they had sent 67 relief workers to Beirut, including doctors, police and firefighters.
As for France, it said it would send two military planes carrying a team of civil security, several tons of medical equipment and a mobile health center. Later, it announced sending a third aid plane.
The Elysee Palace announced that French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Lebanon today, and Agence France-Presse reported that Macron will meet with Lebanese President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Hassan Diab.
The Lebanese "National Media Agency" reported from official sources that Macron would visit Beirut to show support for the country after the Beirut Port incident.
The Iraqi government announced that it had decided to send a plane loaded with urgent medical aid, as an expression of the participation of the injured Lebanese.
The Lebanese National Media Agency reported that former Prime Minister Saad Hariri received a phone call from US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who offered his condolences to the victims of the explosion, and told Pompeo Hariri that the United States would provide urgent assistance to Lebanon to cope with the effects of the explosion.
Yesterday, the Russian Ministry of Emergency declared that five planes would be sent to Lebanon to help clear the debris left by the explosions.
The ministry said, according to "Sputnik", that specialists from the Russian Consumer Protection Agency will be sent to Beirut, laboratories to detect the "Corona" virus, and clothing and means of prevention.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas have pledged urgent assistance to Lebanon. Merkel sent a message of condolence to the Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab, in which she said: “I received with great shock the news of the dangerous explosion in Beirut, which caused many victims.” Merkel expressed her condolences to the victims, and added: “At this difficult time, you can count on the assistance and support of the German government. ».
Mass made similar statements to the newspaper "Bild", saying: "I am in contact with the Lebanese foreign minister to discuss how Germany can provide assistance urgently and without bureaucracy, and I asked him about what they need most."
"It is not possible to understand the extent of the damage that took place. The images of the destruction in Beirut hit us in the heart, which are painful pictures."
Features: Negligence, cause of explosion
An informed source said that preliminary investigations indicate that years of complacency and negligence are the reason for storing a highly explosive substance in the port of Beirut, which led to the explosion that killed more than 100 people the day before yesterday.
The Lebanese authorities had announced that 2750 tons of ammonium nitrate, which is used in the manufacture of fertilizers and bombs, had been stored in the port six years ago without safety measures.
"It is a negligence. The issue of storage safety was brought up to several committees and judges, and nothing was done to issue an order to transfer this highly flammable substance or dispose of it," the official source told Reuters. The source added that a fire broke out in warehouse No. nine in the port and extended to warehouse No. 12, where ammonium nitrate was stored.
This was the most powerful explosion witnessed in Beirut, a city that still bears the scars of the civil war that took place three decades ago and suffers from a severe financial crisis whose roots go back decades.
The Director General of Lebanese Customs, Badri Daher, said that customs sent six documents to the judiciary to warn that the material posed a danger. He added, “We asked to be re-exported, but this did not happen. We leave it to the experts and concerned parties to determine the cause. ” Beirut - Reuters
135
Dead, 5,000 injured, and 300,000 homeless due to Beirut bombing.
Imposition of “house arrest” on everyone concerned with the ammonium nitrate file.