Pakistani youth killed, four injured in Lebanon explosion: Ambassador

LEBANON: A Pakistani youth was killed and four other nationals injured in the horrendous explosion that rocked Lebanon’s capital Beirut on Tuesday.

Pakistan’s Ambassador to Lebanon, Najeeb Durrani in a statement said that the deceased teenage boy’s father, identified as Sajid, and his sister are currently at an ICU and receiving treatment for their injuries.

The Ambassador further said that the 14-year-old boy’s mother and grandmother were also wounded in the explosion. The envoy said that the Pakistani family was residing near the port in an apartment.

Durrani said that the Pakistani embassy is trying its best to facilitate the affected family. A massive explosion shook Lebanon’s capital Beirut, killing more than 100 people and wounding over 3,000, with bodies still buried in the rubble.

President Michel Aoun said that 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, used in fertilizers and bombs, had been stored for six years at the port without safety measures. He called for an emergency cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

Officials did not say what caused the blaze that set off the blast. Local media said it was started by welding work being carried out on a hole in the warehouse.

The intensity of the blast threw victims into the sea and rescue teams were trying to recover bodies. Many of those killed were port and custom employees and people working in the area or driving through during Tuesday afternoon rush hour.

Facades of central Beirut buildings were ripped off, furniture was sucked into streets and roads were strewn with glass and debris. Cars near the port were flipped over.