World / Beirut blast death toll rises to 157; 5,000 others injured: Govt

Beirut: India on Thursday announced that it will extend assistance to the financially-torn Lebanon that was gutted as a result of two massive explosions in capital city Beirut earlier this week. The death toll rose to more than 157 on Thursday after a shipment of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate blew up near Beirut port.

Over 5,000 people have been injured, while nearly 300,000 people were left homeless after the blasts.

“We have sought an assessment on damage from Lebanon. On its basis, we will decide the nature of assistance that we will extend to them. There have been no reported casualties among Indians, only 5 minor injuries,” MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said at a press briefing earlier today.

The explosion was caught on camera by many and widely shared across social media platforms, as people saw a mushroom-like cloud of smoke rising into the sky from the port area, what appeared to be an initial explosion. A second explosion took place within minutes and left buildings damaged, blowing out windows and doors.

Miles from the scene of the blast, balconies were knocked down, ceilings collapsed and windows were left shattered.

On Wednesday, Lebanese President Michel Aoun declared a two-week-long ‘state of emergency’ in Beirut, handing the control of the capital’s security to the military.

“It is unacceptable that a shipment of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate has been present for six years in a warehouse, without taking preventive measures,” Prime Minister Hassan Diab had said.