Lebanon Army Finds Huge Fireworks Cache at Devastated Port
BEIRUT (Dispatches) – Lebanon’s army says it has found 1.3 tons of fireworks during a search of Beirut port, which was devastated last month in a huge blast that was blamed on a large quantity of chemicals kept in poor condition.
The army said in a statement that the fireworks were found in 120 boxes in a warehouse during a search of the port. It said army engineers disposed of them.
The port and a swathe of central Beirut were ruined by the huge blast on August 4 that killed at least 190 people and injured 6,000 others. It was blamed on 2,750 tonnes of highly explosive ammonium nitrate kept at the port for years in poor condition.
Warehouses and concrete grain silos at the port were destroyed.
Lebanon’s army said on September 3 it had also found a further 4.35 tons of ammonium nitrate near the entrance to Beirut port, which the army said at the time it was dealing with.
On Saturday, the Lebanese army announced that nine people remain missing in the huge explosions, adding search is still going on for the seven Lebanese and two Syrian people.
Around 45,744 residential units were destroyed by the explosions and the damage was assessed by 250 teams of 1,000 army members and 500 civil engineers, it added.
The army added it has carried out a survey of more than 85,000 dwellings, businesses and other building units damaged by the massive port blast last month.
The survey "is considered to be sufficient, and there is therefore no need for further surveys by donor countries”, it said in a statement.
On August 9, international donors pledged over 250 million euros (around $300 million) in emergency aid, in a video conference.
Lebanon has been suffering from its worst economic crisis, prompting some Lebanese to leave the country for better living conditions. The port blast further deteriorated the economic situation.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Representative in Lebanon Yukie Mokuo warned of the danger of illegal immigration attempts by Lebanese children and women to other countries, Elnashra news website reported.
"We affirm our continued commitment to support Lebanon to ensure the well-being of children at all times and address the root causes of immigration including poverty and lack of economic opportunities,” Mokuo said.
The Lebanese army intercepted over a week ago a boat off the northern coast of Lebanon with a number of people including children onboard attempting to leave the country illegally to Cyprus, then to other European countries.
The army said in a statement that the fireworks were found in 120 boxes in a warehouse during a search of the port. It said army engineers disposed of them.
The port and a swathe of central Beirut were ruined by the huge blast on August 4 that killed at least 190 people and injured 6,000 others. It was blamed on 2,750 tonnes of highly explosive ammonium nitrate kept at the port for years in poor condition.
Warehouses and concrete grain silos at the port were destroyed.
Lebanon’s army said on September 3 it had also found a further 4.35 tons of ammonium nitrate near the entrance to Beirut port, which the army said at the time it was dealing with.
On Saturday, the Lebanese army announced that nine people remain missing in the huge explosions, adding search is still going on for the seven Lebanese and two Syrian people.
Around 45,744 residential units were destroyed by the explosions and the damage was assessed by 250 teams of 1,000 army members and 500 civil engineers, it added.
The army added it has carried out a survey of more than 85,000 dwellings, businesses and other building units damaged by the massive port blast last month.
The survey "is considered to be sufficient, and there is therefore no need for further surveys by donor countries”, it said in a statement.
On August 9, international donors pledged over 250 million euros (around $300 million) in emergency aid, in a video conference.
Lebanon has been suffering from its worst economic crisis, prompting some Lebanese to leave the country for better living conditions. The port blast further deteriorated the economic situation.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Representative in Lebanon Yukie Mokuo warned of the danger of illegal immigration attempts by Lebanese children and women to other countries, Elnashra news website reported.
"We affirm our continued commitment to support Lebanon to ensure the well-being of children at all times and address the root causes of immigration including poverty and lack of economic opportunities,” Mokuo said.
The Lebanese army intercepted over a week ago a boat off the northern coast of Lebanon with a number of people including children onboard attempting to leave the country illegally to Cyprus, then to other European countries.