Australia to aid Beirut after 'terrible accident'

The Australian government has pledged an initial $2 million Australian dollars ($1.44 million US dollars) to the relief effort in Lebanon after the deadly blast that ripped across the Lebanese capital Beirut on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters in Canberra on Thursday the aid will be provided to the World Food Programme and to the Red Cross for food, medical care and essential items.

He said his country is considering another round of support.

International aid flights began to arrive as Lebanon's leaders struggled to deal with the shocking aftermath of Tuesday's blast, which the Health Ministry said killed 135 people and injured about 5,000 others.

Investigators probing the blast focused Wednesday on possible negligence in the storage of tons of a highly explosive fertilizer in a waterfront warehouse, while the government ordered the house arrest of several port officials.

Public anger mounted against the ruling elite that is being blamed for the chronic mismanagement and carelessness that led to the disaster.

The Port of Beirut and customs office is notorious for being one of the most corrupt and lucrative institutions in Lebanon where various factions and politicians, including Hezbollah, hold sway.

The investigation is focusing on how 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate, a highly explosive chemical used in fertilizers, came to be stored at the facility for six years, and why nothing was done about it.

(Representative Image)