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Relatives of Lebanese army lieutenant Ayman Noureddine, who was killed by Tuesday's explosion that hit the seaport of Beirut, mourn over his coffin during his funeral procession, in Numeiriyeh village, south Lebanon
RESCUE teams pulled more bodies from the rubble of Beirut’s port today, three days after a massive explosion sent a wave of destruction through Lebanon’s capital, killing nearly 150 people and wounding thousands.
Among the four bodies recovered was that of 23-year-old Joe Akiki, a port worker missing since Tuesday’s explosion. His body was found in the rubble near a grain silo that was shredded along with other buildings in the port.
The blast was apparently caused by the ignition of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate, a chemical used for explosives and fertiliser that had been stored at the port since it was confiscated from an impounded cargo ship in 2013.
The government’s investigation into the explosion has come under mounting criticism after many Lebanese blamed the catastrophe on negligence and corruption.
An initial government assessment said 300,000 people — more than 12 per cent of Beirut’s population — had to leave homes damaged or left uninhabitable by the explosion.
Many of them have since returned, or are staying in second homes or with friends and relatives. Officials have estimated losses at £7.6 billion to £11.5bn.
Damaged hospitals, already strained by the coronavirus pandemic, are still struggling to deal with the wounded.
The investigation is focusing on port and customs officials, with 16 employees detained and others questioned. But many Lebanese say it points to much greater rot that permeates the political system and extends to the country’s top leadership.
Before the blast, the country was mired in a severe economic crisis that was also widely blamed on the political class. Unemployment was soaring, and a collapse of the local currency wiped out many people’s savings.
The UN human rights office called for an independent investigation, insisting “victims’ calls for accountability must be heard.”
Rupert Colville, a spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, cited the need for the international community to help Lebanon with both a quick response and sustained engagement.
He said that Lebanon was facing the “triple tragedy of the socio-economic crisis, Covid-19 and the ammonium nitrate explosion.”
Colville urged Lebanese leaders to “overcome political stalemates and address the grievances of the population.”
