The LEBANONS President Michel Aoun said that an investigation committee is presently looking into whether the blast was deliberately caused by a rocket, bomb or other external interference.
“The cause has not been determined yet. There is a possibility of external interference through a rocket or bomb or other act,” President Aoun told local media .
The ongoing investigation is being conducted at three levels: “First, how the explosive material entered and was stored…second whether the explosion was a result of negligence or an accident…and third the possibility that there was external interference,” he added.
Meanwhile, rescue teams and volunteers continue to plough through debris to try and locate both survivors and bodies. So far, the death toll stands at 157, while over 5,000 people are said to have been injured during the blast. According to the Lebanese Red Cross, at least 100 people are still missing, most of whom were workers at the port, where the explosion took place.
The blast was caused by 2,750 tonnes of highly volatile ammonium nitrate, which was stored at a warehouse in the city’s port for almost seven years.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah says the explosion at the Beirut port reveals nepotism and corruption that can’t be ignored in Lebanon and that those responsible should be brought to justice.
Nasrallah denied in a speech on Friday that his group was responsible for Tuesday’s blast or exercised any power at the port. He was responding to claims that his group may have stored explosives at the port.
Still, Nasrallah didn’t rule out a missile attack or an act of sabotage. He said that storing explosive materials like ammonium nitrate at the port for so long means “it is partially an issue of negligence, corruption, nepotism” that should not be ignored.
Nasrallah added that if there is more confidence in an investigation carried out by Lebanon’s military, then so be it. He said nothing about an international investigation, which has been suggested and supported by the French and other Lebanese politicians.
Nasrallah also said his group’s domestic opponents are using the blast to blame Hezbollah and to turn public opinion against it. “You will see no results,” he said.
