Twenty-one French citizens, several Americans, one Japanese citizen, one Indonesian, and six Turkish citizens were also injured, according to authorities from the five countries. On Sunday, the information and environment ministers quit, as did several lawmakers, Reuters reported. The death toll from last week’s massive explosion in Beirut has risen to at least 220, according to the Lebanese capital’s governor, who said dozens remain missing as … The explosion of Beirut's port fits into the pattern of failed governance in Lebanon. French President Emmanuel Macron said "rescue and aid" were on the way to Lebanon, and Israel has formally extended humanitarian medical assistance. The overall death toll has surpassed 2,000, with new fatalities numbering between 40 and 60 deaths a day in the past week. Lebanese officials also raised concerns with US diplomats about the use of the phrase "attack," two State Department officials said. Lebanon has allocated 100 billion Lebanese pounds -- which, according to the government rate, is about $66,335,000 -- to deal with the effects … explosion rocked the Lebanese capital of Beirut. LIVE: Protests as Lebanon detains 16 over Beirut explosion. Thanks for contacting us. For instance, AN shouldn't be stored with any fuel, organic materials, chlorides or metals, said the guide -- all potential contaminants. Eli Abi Hanna’s house and his car repair shop were destroyed in the explosion. Lebanon saw a record number of new coronavirus infections last week — a week after the Beirut port explosion ravaged the capital city, killing at least 172 people and injuring thousands. Lebanon’s health sector has been challenged by the pandemic that hit amid an unprecedented economic and financial crisis. ", "I will not rest until we find those responsible for what happened, hold them accountable, and impose maximum punishment," he said in a statement, saying it was "unacceptable" that so much ammonium nitrate had been stored "while endangering the safety of citizens.". Hospitals were quickly inundated, with doctors conducting triage as dozens flooded into emergency rooms. The fire caused an explosion and additional fires that damaged more than 1,000 buildings and killed nearly 400 people, according to the website of the Texas Historical Association. "All U.S. Chief of Mission personnel in Beirut are safe and accounted for and U.S. Embassy Beirut is open," the US State Department spokesperson said Wednesday. The explosion tore through the city, flipping cars, shattering glass and causing some homes to crumble. Minister … If four more ministers resign, the entire cabinet would collapse and enter caretaker status until a new one is formed. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express. “The entire regime needs to change. Speculation increased that the government could resign en masse. He told Al Jadeed TV that many foreign workers and truck drivers also are among the missing. A massive explosion rocked Beirut … The death toll from the massive explosion in Beirut has risen to 135, with some 5,000 wounded and tens still missing, Lebanon’s health minister … Meanwhile, Lebanese authorities have taken the first steps in their investigation into the incident. Do Not Sell My Personal Information, Your California Privacy Rights You can help raise funds for supplies and assistance so desperately needed by clicking here. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic had overwhelmed many of the country's hospitals, several of which already were short of medical supplies and unable to pay staff due to a financial crisis. The devastating explosion is believed to have been caused by an accidental fire that ignited 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored for six years in a port warehouse after being confiscated from an impounded cargo ship. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. The wife of Kataeb Party's Secretary-General Nazar Najarian kisses his the coffin wrapped in the party's flag. “We need quick elections.”. Prime Minister Hassan Diab appeals to all countries to extend help, reiterates pledge that those responsible for the explosion will pay the price Israeli hospital says it contacted Lebanese leadership to offer medical aid Other generals also are scheduled to be questioned. The death toll from the massive explosion in Beirut has risen to 135, with some 5,000 wounded and tens still missing, Lebanon's health minister told Al Manar television. over GOP 'deprogram' comments, Lena Dunham trolled after fantasizing about being Hunter Biden’s wife, Katie Couric in ‘Jeopardy!’ over GOP ‘deprogram’ comments, LA foodie aims to open hip 24-hour diner in West Village, Bernie Sanders Reacts to His Inauguration Meme: “I Was Just Sitting There Trying to Keep Warm”, © 2021 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, A year on, Lebanon's protests have faded and life has got worse, Beirut explosion among largest non-nuclear blasts in history, experts say, 1.5 tons of fireworks uncovered at Beirut blast site, Huge fire breaks out at Beirut port a month after massive explosion, Mike Pence fights back tears, thanks Trump in farewell speech, Clyburn says Bush called him 'the savior' for Biden endorsement, Biden put on a show of 'unity' — will he stick to it? It will make no difference if there is a new government,” Joe Haddad, an engineer, told Reuters. “It won’t work, it’s just the same people. The blast was even felt in Cyprus, around 240 kilometers (150 miles) away, and registered as a 3.3 magnitude earthquake. Two days after a massive explosion ripped through Lebanon’s capital city Beirut, the death toll has climbed to 157, while the total number of injured people soared to 5,000, according to data released by Lebanon’s health ministry. The documents showed that Badri Daher, the Director of Lebanese Customs, warned for years of the "extreme danger" of leaving the ammonium nitrate at the port. Disasters involving AN are rare, considering the US uses millions of tons of it every year in fertilizers, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. CDC Admits To Remarkably Low Coronavirus Death Rate And The Beirut Explosion Exposed. It's even more dangerous if there is a large supply of AN all stored together, because once a small section of AN begins to melt and explode, the resulting heat can set off the rest of the supply. A woman mourns during a funerary procession for Lebanese army corporal Estephan Rouhana at his hometown of Batroun in northern Lebanon. Terms of Use August 10, 2020 | 8:59am | Updated August 10, 2020 | 11:32am. The blast had the force of a 3.4-magnitude earthquake. Video: Journalist shows us inside her destroyed Beirut home (CNN), There have been conflicting reports of what caused the blast. Beirut's governor, Marwan Aboud, told Jordan's state-owned channel Al Mamlaka that at least 300,000 people were "unable to sleep in their homes," adding that "half of Beirut's population have homes that are unliveable for the foreseeable future -- for the next two weeks.". The blast — which injured about 6,000 people and left nearly 300,000 homeless — has brought a new wave of public outrage at the government and the country’s long-entrenched ruling class. At least 135 people are dead and more than 5,000 were injured in the blast, according to the latest figures released by Lebanon Health Minister Hamad Hassan. The death toll from a huge explosion that rocked Beirut on Tuesday has reached 100, the Lebanese Red Cross has said, and more victims are under the rubble. Damaged buildings include the headquarters of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri and CNN's bureau in downtown Beirut. Search. Lebanese officials knew the dangers posed by storing ammonium nitrate at the port, but … Daher told CNN that customs officials had written to legal authorities six times requesting for the dangerous cargo be removed from the port, but the requests went unheeded. A friend of 20-year-old Lebanese Rawan Misto who was killed in Beirut port's blast earlier this week holds her photo. Meanwhile, Beirut city governor Marwan Abboud was quoted by the al-Marsad Online news website as saying the death toll from the explosion had risen to 220… Lebanon explosion: Beirut reels as death toll climbs to at least 135. Russia has sent five planes carrying medical equipment and a team of doctors to set up a field hospital in Beirut, according to state news agency TASS. The politicians and the economic disaster have ruined everything.”. The enormous blast, which officials said … The CDC estimates the death rate from COVID-19 for those under 50 is 1 in 5,000 for those with symptoms, which would be 1 in 6,725 overall, but again, almost all those who die have specific comorbidities or underlying conditions. Sitemap A cargo of 2,750 tonnes of the substance (equivalent to around 1.1 kilotons of TNT) had been stored in a warehouse without proper safety measures for the previous six years, after having been confiscated by the Lebanese authorities from the abandoned ship The probe is focused on how the material came to be stored at the site and why nothing was done about it. The explosion in Beirut’s port only increased the pressure on Beirut’s hospitals, knocking out at least three of them. Lebanon has struggled to bring a COVID outbreak under control since the August port explosion that killed 200, injured more than 6,000 and destroyed large parts of … A massive explosion rocked the Lebanese capital of Beirut on Tuesday evening, leaving at least 135 dead and thousands injured. Several charities are on the ground providing medical care, shelter, supplies and other services to help the city recover and rebuild. On Sunday, world leaders and international groups pledged almost $300 million in humanitarian aid to Beirut, but warned that no money for rebuilding the city would be provided until Lebanese authorities commit themselves to political and economic reforms. An explosion at the AZF fertiliser factory 10 days after the 9/11 attacks left about 30 people dead and caused more than 2,000 casualties. Middle Eastern neighbors including Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE and Iraq will also send field hospitals, medical supplies and oil to Lebanon, state-run NNA said. 21,910, © 2021 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved Some naval peacekeepers with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) have also been injured, some seriously. Show full articles without "Continue Reading" button for {0} hours. Anthony May, a retired ATF explosives investigator for the US government, said the color of the cloud after the blast suggests there may have been other compounds involved.