Beirut Blast Archives - Iran News Daily

2,750 Lebanese Injured in Beirut Blast Received at Iran’s Field Hospital

reporter 1222 — Thu, 20 Aug 2020 03:59:49 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Director of a field hospital set up in Beirut by Iran’s Red Crescent Society (IRCS) said that 2,750 Lebanese wounded by the August 4 mega explosion in the Lebanese capital, have so far received medical treatment or been examined in the medical facility.

Mohammad Baqer Mohammadi told IRNA on a phone call on Wednesday that Iran’s medical personnel have been treating patients for the last two weeks.

Iran’s field hospital locates near Dhahiya neighborhood in Beirut and people from other parts of Lebanon also come to receive medical services in that complex.

The first cargo of Iran’s humanitarian aid comprising 95 tons of food and medicine arrived in Beirut on August 6.

The massive explosion that defaced the coastline of Beirut, destroying hundreds of buildings, has reportedly killed 220 people and wounded more than 6,000 others.

The disastrous blast was caused by detonation of more than 2,000 tons of ammonium nitrate stored at a warehouse in the Lebanese capital.

Iran is the first country that rushed to help Lebanon by sending medical and humanitarian aid immediately after the disaster.

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Zarif in Beirut to Talk on Situation Following Explosion

reporter 1222 — Sat, 15 Aug 2020 06:13:42 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Foreign Minister of Iran Mohammad Javad Zarif arrived in Beirut Thursday evening for talks with senior officials of Lebanon on the recent developments in the aftermath of the tragic massive blast in the Lebanese capital.

Zarif was welcomed at the airport by his Lebanese counterpart Charbel Wehbe, said a statement by Iran’s Foreign Ministry.

In addition, to review the present situation in Lebanon in separate meetings with senior officials of the country, Zarif is also to follow up the process of providing Iran’s humanitarian aid for the Lebanese in the wake of the mega explosion which defaced the coastline of Beirut, destroying hundreds of buildings, IRNA reported.

At least 171 people were dead and more than 6,000 others were injured by the massive blast which was caused by the detonation of more than 2,000 tons of ammonium nitrate stored at a warehouse in the port city.

Dozens remain missing and some 300,000 have been made homeless by the fatal incident.

Zarif had earlier attended Lebanon’s Embassy in Tehran and signed a memorial book in the honor of the victims of the devastating blast.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday in a phone call with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani called on Iran to help solve the existing political crisis in Lebanon which mounted following the eruption of public protests in the Lebanese capital after the fatal explosion and has eventually led to the resignation of the government of Prime Minister Hasan Diab on Monday.

Given the present situation in Lebanon, President Macron invited Iran to take part in the international action group to solve the Lebanon crisis.

Welcoming the invitation, President Rouhani stressed the need to help Lebanese judiciary officials find those involved in the fatal incident.

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Iran Zarif Hopes for Lebanon Stability after Beirut Blast

reporter 1222 — Sat, 15 Aug 2020 03:53:58 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Friday hoped that Lebanon’s situation becomes stable through cooperation among all parties following the massive explosion in Beirut last week that killed and injured thousands of people.

Zarif made the comments at a meeting with Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun in Beirut during which he expressed Iran’s sympathy and solidarity with the people of Lebanon over the devastating explosion.

Earlier in the day, Zarif held talks with Caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. He told them that Iran is ready to help Lebanon reconstruct buildings damaged in the blast and cooperate with the country in meeting its needs in the aftermath of the blast.

He also warned that some Western countries are seeking to destabilize Lebanon by exploiting the current situation there.

The Aug. 4 blast at Beirut’s port killed nearly 180 people, injured over 6,000, and caused widespread damage in the capital.

Lebanon’s government resigned earlier this week under pressure and consultations between rival groups are ongoing over who will replace Diab. The process to form a new government could take months.

International humanitarian aid has poured in but some foreign states have linked any financial assistance to reform of the Lebanese state, which has defaulted on its huge sovereign debts.

During a visit to Beirut last week, French President Emmanuel Macron met political leaders in Lebanon and called on them to create a “new political order.”

Last week, in a joint statement after an international donor conference, world leaders urged Lebanese authorities to “fully commit themselves to timely measures and reforms” in order to access longer-term support for the country’s recovery.

Exploiting Lebanon

Zarif said Friday that Western countries should not take advantage of the explosion to dictate their own policies on Lebanon.

“We believe that the government and the people of Lebanon are the sides that should decide on the future of Lebanon,” Zarif told a joint televised news conference after meeting with his caretaker Lebanese counterpart, Charbel Wehbe.

“No foreign side should take advantage of the catastrophic conditions and the needs of Lebanon to impose dictates that are in their interests.”

Lebanese local media reported that the US wants the new government in Lebanon to exclude the Hezbollah resistance movement.

Zarif described reported the US attempts to dictate and impose a government leaving out major Lebanese political factions as “inhumane.”

“In our view, it is inhumane to exploit the pain and suffering of the people for political goals,” he said.

“Others should not condition their aid on any change in Lebanon during this emergency situation,” Zarif said, in what was seen as a reference to Western leaders.

President Aoun met Friday with US Undersecretary for Political Affairs David Hale and told him that the priority of the new government will be to conduct reforms and fight corruption, according to Aoun’s office.

Aoun has promised a swift investigation into the blast. He has said the probe would look into whether the cause was negligence, an accident or “external interference”.

On Thursday, Hale said the FBI will join Lebanese and other international investigators in the probe of Beirut’s massive explosion.

Earlier on Friday, the United Nations humanitarian affairs agency said in its report that the explosion has affected operations at six hospitals, up from an initial three, and damaged more than 20 clinics in the parts of Beirut worst hit by the blast.

Some 120 schools, used by 50,000 students, have been damaged. More than 1,000 of nearly 50,000 residential units were severely damaged, the UN report said.

The blast struck Beirut in the midst of a crippling financial and economic crisis, and the UN predicted people may have difficulties restoring or fixing their homes.

According to the world body, the Beirut port is operating at 30% capacity and the Tripoli port in the country’s north, at 70%. That is allowing for food and goods to continue to flow. The World Food Programme is bringing in a three-month supply of wheat flour and grains.

It still wasn’t known what caused the Aug. 4 fire that ignited nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate stored in Beirut’s port. But documents have emerged in the wake of the explosion that shows the country’s top leadership and security officials were aware of the chemicals being stored in the city port.

Lebanon’s Parliament on Thursday approved a state of emergency in Beirut in its first session since the tragic explosion last week, granting the military sweeping powers amid rising popular anger and political uncertainty.

AP, Reuters, and AFP contributed to this story.

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Zarif Condemns US Sanctions on Lebanon after Tragic Blast

reporter 1222 — Wed, 12 Aug 2020 10:05:38 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif lashed out at the US government for maintaining the pressure of sanctions on Lebanon even after a recent tragic blast in Beirut.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a cabinet session on Wednesday, Zarif said while the August 4 explosion in Beirut has shocked the entire world, the United States is keeping the sanctions on Lebanon despite the coronavirus outbreak and the blast tragedy.

The top Iranian diplomat also noted that any group might try to take political advantage of the incident, but such attempts have failed until now.

In the cabinet session held minutes earlier, President Hassan Rouhani reiterated Iran’s readiness to assist Lebanon after the explosion by providing medical supplies and helping reconstruct its devastated port.

Governor of Beirut says more than 200 people are believed to have been killed as a result of the August 4 blast, which occurred when a stockpile of more than 2,000 tons of ammonium nitrate exploded.

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Lebanon’s Government Resigns amid Protests

reporter 1222 — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 03:54:46 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Lebanon’s Prime Minister Hassan Diab has announced the resignation of his government following a similar move by several ministers, and amid angry protests in the country that followed the devastating blast of August 4 in the Beirut port.

Speaking to people in a live televised address on Monday, Diab first blamed the explosion on mismanagement resulting from “endemic corruption” in the country, Press TV reported.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Diab slammed certain corrupt political actors for undermining his government’s efforts by distorting the truth.

“Today we follow the will of the people in their demand to hold accountable those responsible for the disaster that has been in hiding for seven years, and their desire for real change,” Diab said, adding, “In the face of this reality … I am announcing today the resignation of this government.

“May God saves Lebanon, may God save Lebanon, may God save Lebanon.”

He said his government “tried to create change to meet the demands of the Lebanese people, adding, “We are with the people in calling for trying those responsible for this crime.”

Diab also denounced those who are trying to take advantage of the Beirut blast for their own political gain.

After months of a power vacuum in the small Mediterranean country, Diab’s cabinet formed in January to combat alleged corruption and mismanagement, and to revive Lebanon’s collapsed economy.

Before Diab announced the government’s resignation, four cabinet ministers had already quit their posts.

The tragic explosion caused by the detonation of more than 2,000 tons of ammonium nitrate in a port warehouse has so far killed more than 200 citizens and injured more than 6000 others.

The explosion is believed to have been caused by a fire that ignited a 2,750-ton stockpile of highly volatile ammonium nitrate. The material had been stored at the port since 2013 with few safeguards despite numerous warnings of the danger, Al-Jazeera reported.

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Canada Launches Lebanon Relief Fund

reporter 1222 — Sun, 09 Aug 2020 07:50:55 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – The Canadian government announced the launch of a Lebanon relief fund, calling on citizens to give generously to victims of the massive explosion that killed more than 150 people and injured 6,000 in Beirut.

“Every dollar donated by individual Canadians between August fourth and 24th will be matched by the government of Canada… up to a maximum of Can$2 million,” or $1.5 million, said International Development Minister Karina Gould at a news conference, AFP reported.

The relief fund will go to the Humanitarian Coalition, which brings together a dozen Canadian humanitarian organizations on the ground in Lebanon, she said.

It will use its expertise to distribute aid in areas such as water supply, sanitation, food, and shelter.

“I encourage Canadians to donate to the Lebanon Matching Fund to help save lives and meet the urgent needs of the affected population,” said the minister, adding it was the best way for citizens to help.

The assistance is part of the Can$5 million aid package announced earlier this week by Ottawa.

A group of Lebanese-Canadian businessmen has announced plans to raise at least $2.5 million to help the disaster-stricken population.

Tuesday’s massive explosion leveled Beirut port and killed at least 158 people.

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Beirut Port Explosion Death Toll Rises to 158: Health Ministry

reporter 1222 — Sun, 09 Aug 2020 05:41:58 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – The death toll from Tuesday’s catastrophic explosion at the port of Beirut has risen to 158, the Lebanese Health Ministry said on Saturday.

The number of people injured in the explosion of Beirut port exceeds 6,000 and 21 are still reported missing, it said, Reuters wrote.

The health minister said on Friday that at least 120 of those who were injured on Tuesday are in critical condition, AFP reported.

The explosion devastated entire districts of the capital, leaving some 300,000 people temporarily homeless.

An investigation by authorities has so far led to 21 arrests, as well as travel bans and asset freezes.

Authorities had said a fire at the port had ignited tons of ammonium nitrate stored there for years. President Michel Aoun said Friday it could have been caused by an attack but rejected calls for an international probe.

“Lebanese sovereignty will not be harmed under my watch,” Aoun told reporters.

‘Nothing’ in port

Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Friday strongly denied that the Lebanese resistance movement had stored arms at Beirut’s port, describing the cataclysmic explosion there as “a major tragedy”.

“We have nothing in the port: Not an arms depot, nor a missile depot nor missiles nor rifles nor bombs nor bullets nor (ammonium) nitrate,” Nasrallah said in a televised speech.

He called the explosion a “major tragedy and humanitarian catastrophe,” saying it required a kind of response that would match its “exceptional” scale.

Nasrallah urged “the army to investigate and announce its findings”.

He said the Lebanese military is in a prime position to do so because it is seen as a “trusted” institution by people and politicians across the spectrum.

The Hezbollah leader warned against delays in the probe, saying: “If the Lebanese state and the political class… do not reach a conclusion in the investigations this means… there is no hope to build a state.”

International assistance swiftly flooded into Lebanon after the blast and French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday made a snap visit to Beirut, where he pressed leaders for change and announced an international aid conference in the coming days.

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At Least 135 Dead, More Than 5,000 Injured in Beirut Explosion

reporter 1222 — Thu, 06 Aug 2020 08:47:35 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – At least 135 people were killed and 5,000 injured in a massive explosion that shook Beirut on Tuesday, according to Lebanon’s health minister.

Lebanon’s cabinet declared a two-week state of emergency in the capital city and handed control of security in the capital to the military following a massive explosion in Beirut that killed at least 135 people and injured 5,000 others, according to AlJazeera.

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

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 up to 300,000 people have 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.

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Iran Leader Sympathizes with Lebanon due to Beirut explosion

reporter 1222 — Thu, 06 Aug 2020 03:54:36 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on August 5 sympathized with the people of Lebanon over the tragic explosion that rocked Beirut on Tuesday.

“We sympathize with and stand by the dear Lebanese citizens on the heart-rending incident of an explosion in the port of Beirut which killed and injured a large number of people and caused severe damage, patience in the face of this tragedy will be registered as another golden chapter of Lebanon’s glories,” said the Leader in a message on his Twitter account.

At least 135 were dead and around 5,000 another was injured by deadly explosions which rocked the Lebanese capital on August 4, The Guardian reported.

The fatal incident which was described by the governor of Beirut Marwan Abboud as “an apocalyptic situation,” occurred when a warehouse at the Beirut port caught fire, triggering a huge explosion.

Several smaller explosions were heard before the bigger one occurred, Lebanon’s official National News Agency (NNA) reported.

According to Abbas Ibrahim, head of Lebanon’s General Security, “highly explosive materials” ammonium nitrate confiscated earlier had been stored at the site.

Footage shared on social media captured the moment of the bigger explosion, with columns of thick smoke billowing fast across several hundreds of meters and shrouding the area.

The governor of Beirut estimated the disaster might have made 300,000 people temporarily homeless and would cost the country in excess of $3 billion.

The scale of the destruction was such that the Lebanese capital resembled the scene of an earthquake, with thousands of people left homeless and thousands more cramming into overwhelmed hospitals for treatment.

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Over 200,000 Homeless After Beirut Explosion

reporter 1222 — Wed, 05 Aug 2020 13:02:39 +0000

TEHRAN (Iran News) – More than 200,000 people in Beirut have been left homeless after the deadly explosion that ripped through a large part of Beirut on Tuesday, the governor of the city said.

The powerful eruption devastated entire neighborhoods and affected roughly half of the city, Governor Marwan Abboud told local and international media, RT reported.

With numerous buildings damaged by the explosion wave, between 200,000 and 300,000 people in Beirut have been left homeless and will need food, water, and shelter. Preliminary estimates place the damage anywhere between $3 billion and $5 billion and “maybe more,” Abboud added.

The devastation is a further blow to Lebanon’s already struggling financial situation, as the country is experiencing its worst economic crisis in decades.

Beirut port, where the blast originated, is an important piece of infrastructure, serving as a gateway for traffic from the Mediterranean Sea to Lebanon as well as Syria, Jordan, and Iraq.

Lebanese officials linked the blast to 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate, which had been stored at a warehouse in Beirut since 2013 when it was confiscated from an unsafe ship that was reportedly delivering the cargo to Mozambique.

The chemical compound is widely used as fertilizer as is also a component used in the production of explosives.

At least 100 people have been killed in the disaster, with the death toll expected to rise further.

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