The Chinese medical team to Lebanon will provide medical assistance to Beirut.
Shortly after the explosion in the port area of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, on the evening of the 4th, the 18th Chinese peacekeeping medical team to Lebanon received a notification from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Command that it would deploy its medical force to provide medical assistance to Beirut.
According to the Chinese peacekeeping medical team, after receiving the notice, the team transferred 9 medical personnel from the fields of surgery, internal medicine, burns, anesthesiology and other fields to form the "Beirut blast" emergency medical team. The emergency team will bring medicines, consumables, protective equipment and other materials to Beirut. At this stage, team personnel, vehicles, and materials are ready.
China's 18th batch of medical units for peacekeeping missions to Lebanon is composed of 30 officers and soldiers. It is currently in the rotation period. 15 of them returned to China on July 28. According to the plan, the remaining 15 people will set off to return home on the 18th of this month. 15 Chinese medical teams from China's 19th batch of peacekeeping missions to Lebanon arrived in Lebanon on July 28 and are currently in isolation due to the new crown epidemic.
Lebanese capital Beirut declared a two-week state of emergency
The Lebanese government held an emergency meeting on the same day to declare Beirut as a disaster-stricken city and implement a two-week state of emergency in Beirut, supervised by the military. The government also urges relevant departments to take measures to help the victims, including opening schools, hotels and other places to the homeless, and ensuring the supply of civilian resources.
Lebanese Minister of Health Hamad Hassan said later that day that the explosion on the 4th had killed 135 people and injured about 5,000, and dozens of others were still missing.
The Lebanese government agreed on the same day to place all port officials who have supervised and guarded warehouses in Beirut Port under house arrest since 2014 in order to initiate investigations. The number and list of these personnel is currently unclear.
Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab said that investigating the explosion is the top priority at the moment and results should be obtained as soon as possible. Lebanese Interior Minister Mohamed Fahmi said that the investigation will take five days and the results of the investigation will be “transparent”.
The 5th is Lebanon's National Day of Mourning, and all Lebanese government agencies lowered their flags at half mast.
Many countries including France, Qatar, Iran, Cyprus, Kuwait, Russia, etc. have announced the provision of medical and humanitarian assistance to Lebanon. Two French military planes carrying 55 people and approximately 15 tons of equipment and a mobile medical center arrived at Beirut Airport on the 5th; a plane carrying medical supplies also arrived in Beirut on the same day; Iran and Cyprus sent medical teams to Lebanon or Search and rescue team.
At around 18:10 on the 4th local time, a violent explosion occurred in the Beirut port area. The specific cause of the explosion is still unclear. Several Lebanese officials mentioned that about 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate have been stored in warehouses in the Beirut port area since 2014 .
A Chinese citizen was slightly injured in the explosion in the port area of the Lebanese capital
The Chinese Embassy in Lebanon confirmed on the 5th that a Chinese citizen was slightly injured in an explosion in the port area of Beirut, the Lebanese capital.
The embassy said that the injured was an employee of a Chinese-funded enterprise in Lebanon who was scratched by broken glass and has received medical treatment.
Source: Xinhua News Agency