( Beirut, 6th August 2020 ) The warehouse in Beirut, Lebanon, has exploded. The Mayor of Beirut Abd said that the economic loss caused by the port explosion could be as high as 15 billion US dollars (about 62.7 billion ringgit).
Arabiya TV reported that the mayor of Beirut said in an interview with the media on Wednesday (5th) that the economic losses caused by the explosion at the Beirut port could be as high as US$10 to 15 billion. Earlier in the day, Marvao estimated that the economic damage caused by the explosion was between US$3 billion and US$5 billion. Marvao also added that 300,000 Lebanese were displaced by the port explosion. In addition, the Minister of Economy of Lebanon also stated that the main granary and grain crops in Beirut Port were also destroyed by the big explosion. Lebanon has less than one month of food stocks, and it takes at least three months of domestic stocks to ensure sufficient food. The situation is precarious.
Three days of national mourning
The Lebanese government held an emergency meeting on the 5th to declare Beirut a disaster-stricken city and implement a two-week state of emergency in Beirut, supervised by the military. The Lebanese government announced that it will enter a three-day national mourning period starting from August 5th, and all Lebanese government agencies will lower their flags at half mast. The Lebanese High Defense Council stated that it would set up an investigation committee to investigate the cause of the explosion and submit its findings within five days.
As of 20 o'clock on the 5th local time, at least 135 people were killed and about 5,000 were injured in the explosion. Dozens of people were still missing and 300,000 people were left homeless. The injured included about 100 United Nations staff and their families.
News source: Lianhe Zaobao
**Info & Image are taken online
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