Beirut Blasts : Death Toll Rises To 78, Prime Minister Hassan Diab Vows To Punish Perpetrators

The death toll from a powerful explosion in the port of Beirut has increased to 78 people, more than 4,000 people were injured, the Al Jazeera television channel reported citing the Lebanese Health Ministry. “The death toll from the blast increased to 78, more than 4,000 were injured,” the channel said. A powerful explosion occurred in the port area of Beirut on Tuesday evening.

Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab in a televised address to the county warned that those who were responsible for the devastating catastrophe will be held accountable and not go unpunished reported  Sputnik.

“What happened today will not fly by without accountability. All those responsible for this catastrophe will pay the price. This is a promise I make to martyrs and injured. This is a national commitment,” Diab said.

The city governor said half of the city’s buildings were damaged, and hospitals were overcrowded due to a large number of those injured. The head of the country’s general security service, Gen. Abbas Ibrahim, said that in line with preliminary data, explosives that had been stored in the port for a long time detonated.

National News Agency of Lebanon also reported that a warehouse at the Beirut Port caught fire and lead to major explosions, which reverberated in the capital and the suburbs and left behind great damages to the surrounding buildings and a considerable number of wounded.