Cctv newsAccording to Agence France-Presse, at least 149 people were killed, 5,000 injured and dozens of others were missing in the explosion in Beirut port area of Lebanon on the 4th. Reuters reported that the death toll was 145, and this number is likely to continue to rise.
News scene: the moment of explosion, the moment of shock
After the explosion in the port area of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, more eyewitness videos and surveillance videos showed the moment of shock when the explosion occurred.
The video provided by Reuters shows that on the 4th, in a hospital in Beirut, a parturient was being pushed into the delivery room, and her husband was filming a mobile phone video. At this time, an explosion occurred in the port area, and the glass of the delivery room was shattered by the shock wave, and the delivery room was in a mess. Fortunately, in the end, the child was born smoothly and the mother and child were safe.
Another video comes from a surveillance video of a hotel in Beirut. The video shows that the boss and employees of this hotel felt the explosion in the distance and got up to wait and see. Unexpectedly, there was a second violent explosion, and the explosion shock wave shattered the glass curtain wall, so they hurriedly escaped, and the office area was in a mess at this time.
This video was shot after the explosion. The city that just experienced the explosion was shrouded in thick smoke, and a huge red smoke rose in the distance, which was shocking.
Lebanese military arrested 16 port employees involved.
At present, the investigation on the cause of the explosion accident in Beirut port area continues. On the 6th local time, the Lebanese government took a series of measures against the relevant personnel involved in the port area and arrested 16 port employees involved.
On the 6th local time, the Lebanese military judiciary arrested 16 port employees involved, and said that it would investigate relevant incidents and personnel. Earlier, the Lebanese government had asked the military to take action and put under house arrest all port officials responsible for supervising and guarding warehouses since 2014.
Lebanon freezes bank accounts of seven Beirut port officials
According to Lebanese media reports, Lebanese State Prosecutor Oeidat issued a travel ban on seven people, including the general manager of Beirut Port and the Lebanese Customs Commissioner. At the same time, the Special Investigation Committee of the Central Bank of Lebanon announced the freezing of direct or indirect bank accounts related to them and the lifting of the relevant bank secrecy system.
The second largest port in Lebanon temporarily replaced the function of Beirut Port.
Tripoli, the second largest port in Lebanon, said on the 6th that it is ready to temporarily replace the function of Beirut port and prepare to receive international aid ships and commercial transport ships sent to Lebanon.
Former captain of the cargo ship involved: The cargo ship was diverted to Beirut.
Earlier, according to several Lebanese government officials, ammonium nitrate, a dangerous chemical that may cause an explosion, was found missing from a cargo ship named Rothers about six years ago.
On the 6th local time, Boris Prokoshev, the former captain of the "Rothers", said in an interview with the media in Russia that the freighter was diverted to Beirut. If he had known this was happening, he would never have boarded the freighter.
It is reported that after the cargo ship docked at Beirut port, it was seized due to port fee disputes, and the captain and four crew members were also detained for about 11 months. After that, the owner of the freighter and the owner of the goods gave up the freighter and the goods respectively. This batch of dangerous chemicals was transferred to the warehouse in the port area. The cargo ship Rothers also docked near the explosion site.
It is reported that "Rothers" changed hands many times and was bought by a company run by Russian businessman Igor Grechushkin in 2012. On the 6th local time, the Cyprus police asked Grichushkin at his home at the request of Interpol. The investigation is still in progress.