Lebanese President Michel Aoun called for an emergency cabinet meeting on Wednesday and said a two-week state of emergency should be declared following a massive explosion in Beirut that killed at least 100 people and injured 4,000 others.

The explosion on Tuesday sent shockwaves across the city, causing widespread damage as far as the outskirts of the capital.

Officials said they expect the death toll to rise further as emergency workers dig through the rubble to search for survivors.

Beirut’s city governor Marwan Abboud said between 200,000 and 250,000 people had lost their homes and authorities are working on providing them with food, water and shelter.

The cause of the explosion was not immediately clear. Officials linked the blast to some 2,750 tonnes of confiscated ammonium nitrate that were being stored in a warehouse at the port for six years.

Aoun assembled the country’s High Defence Council following the explosion.

Prime Minister Hassan Diab called for a day of mourning on Wednesday.

Source:aljazeera.com

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You May Also Like

Five killed in attacks on foreigners in South Africa

Five people have been killed in xenophobic attacks in South Africa, police said,…

Covid-19: World Leaders Call For International Pandemic Treaty

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has joined more than 20 world leaders in…

Brazil: Political Crisis And Covid Surge Rock Bolsonaro

Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro is facing the biggest crisis of his presidency after…

UK Eases Lockdown But Nervously Eyes European Virus Surge

Britain is taking another small step out of lockdown as it looks…