Army bulldozers move wreckage to reopen Beirut roads

Lebanese army bulldozers ploughed through wreck to reopen ros around Beirut's demolished port Thursday, a day after government pledged to investigate this week's devastating explosion and placed port officials under house arrest.

blast Tuesday, which appeared to have been caused by an accidental fire that ignited a stockpile of ammonium nitrate at port, rippled across Lebanese capital, killing at least 135 people, injuring more than 5,000 and causing widespre destruction.

It also may have accelerated country's coronavirus outbreak, as thousands flooded into hospitals in wake of blast. Hundreds of thousands have been forced to move in with relatives and friends after ir homes were damd, furr raising risks of exposure.

"Severe dam, I've been here for 35 years, as a pharmacist, during war days, difficult days, we did t witness anything similar to explosion that took place two days ago, we did t witness, severe dam, destruction unheard of. " said Paul Sakr, a pharmacist.

French President Emmanuel Macron was expected to visit later Thursday amid pledges of international aid.

But Leban, which was alrey mired in a severe ecomic crisis, faces a daunting challenge in rebuilding city.

Losses from blast are estimated to be between 10 to 15 billion US dollars, Beirut Goverr Marwan Abboud told Saudi-owned TV station Al-Hath on Wednesday, ding that nearly 300,000 people are homeless.

Mediterranean country was alrey on brink of collapse, with soaring unemployment and a financial crisis that has wiped out people's life savings.

Hospitals were alrey strained by coronavirus pandemic, and one was so bly damd by blast it h to treat patients in a nearby field.