Lebanon receives French report on Beirut port explosion

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This August 5, 2020 file photo, is the scene of an explosion that hit the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon. 211 killed , 6500 Injured after several hundred tons of ammonium nitrate exploded . 2750 tons were stored there for nearly 7 years, reportedly for use by the Syrian regime in its barrel bombs. The shipment was reportedly confiscated by Badri Daher a close associate of President Michel Aoun and his son-in-law Gebran Bassil , both are allied with the Syrian regime . The shipment arrived at a time when Syria was surrendering its chemical weapons to a UN backed organization for destruction . Aoun officially knew about the Ammonium Nitrate 2 weeks before the explosion but did nothing about it . He , along with his Hezbollah allies refused an international investigation but promised a local investigation that will bring the culprits to justice in less than a week but 8 months later not one politician has been charged (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, Beirut, Lebanon(Photo by Anwar Amro/AFP)

BEIRUT: Lebanon on Monday received a preliminary report from France regarding last year’s massive port blast in Beirut that killed and wounded thousands, judicial officials said.


The officials said the French report is useful for the ongoing investigation in Beirut over the August blast, which decimated the country’s main port and caused severe damage to surrounding areas. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, declined to give details about the report.


Nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate — a highly explosive material used in fertilizers — had been improperly stored in the port for years. The catastrophic blast on Aug. 4 killed 211 people and injured more than 6,000.
Days after the explosion, French forensic police experts took part in the investigation and left weeks later.


Nearly 10 months after the blast, it is still not known what triggered an initial fire at the warehouse that then caused the explosion or who was responsible for storing the rotting fertilizer at the port warehouse for years.


Prime Minister Hassan Diab resigned amid outrage over the explosion, and prime minister-designate Saad Hariri has not been able to form a new Cabinet since. That has worsened an unprecedented economic and financial crisis that has seen the local currency collapse and thrown nearly half the country’s population into poverty.


Earlier this month, the judge investigating the blast, Tarek Bitar, requested that countries with satellites stationed over Lebanon provide authorities with images taken before and after the explosion that could help their investigation.

Associated Press

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3 responses to “Lebanon receives French report on Beirut port explosion”

  1. Is Nasrallah really anesthetized and respirated?
    In the last day, social networks have been flooded with reports on Nasrallah’s medical condition, in direct continuation of his “cough speech” from last week.
    The range of reports and rumors is wide. There are rumors that he died, there are rumors that his condition is serious, there are rumors that he is anesthetized and respirated.
    It is important to note that as of this moment there is no official or significant source that verifies the rumors on the net
    Simultaneously with these rumors / reports, photos and videos of free distribution of bread and water to the residents of Dahiya in Beirut were circulated on social media, for the sake of the recovery of Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah (I will immediately attach).
    But there is another interesting insight: all the trumpets of Hezbollah and the Iranian axis, which in the days of their correction do not stop generating traffic on social networks, suddenly seemed to be related to reports of Nasrallah’s condition.
    Just ignore the rumors flooding the net and not refer to the white elephant in the middle of the room.
    It really does not suit them.
    As for what is really happening with Nasrallah – time will tell.
    I’m ready to donate a yellow coffin, when the time comes. About me

    1. Free water distribution for Nasrallah’s recovery https://t.me/abualiexpress/28925

      1. Free distribution of pitas for Nasrallah’s recovery https://t.me/abualiexpress/28926

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