Beirut explosion: President says 'missile or bomb' may have caused the blast

Lebanon President Michel Aoun on August 7 suggested that the explosion at Beirut port could have been caused either by negligence or foreign interference through missile or bomb. Aoun during a televised interview on Friday said that it is very much possible that the explosion could have been caused by a missile or a bomb, but did not rule out internal negligence either. World leaders had called for an international investigation into the matter, which Aoun rejected during the interview saying that it will only help in hiding the truth. Aoun also informed that 20 people are already being interrogated adding that nobody will be spared be 'top-level' officials or 'regular' employees. 

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Meanwhile, people are coming out on streets to protest demanding action against the ruling elite as they feel the explosion was caused because of negligence on their part. People are asking why such highly dangerous material was kept so close to residential areas for so long and in an unsafe manner. Protesters on Friday clashed with the police as they pelted stone on officials. Prime Minister Hassan Diab has promised to give maximum punishment to whosoever is found guilty and responsible behind the incident. 

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Beirut explosion

The explosion that took place on August 4 has killed nearly 150 people and has injured thousands of others. Over 3,00,000 people have become homeless following the incident, which is about 12 percent of Beirut's population as the explosion triggered a shock wave equal to a 4.2 magnitude earthquake. As per reports, ammonium nitrate that was stored at the port since 2014 was the cause of the massive explosion. Experts say that the explosion could have been caused by an intense fire close to the warehouse where the chemical compound was stored. 

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