Lebanese president rejects global probe into Beirut port blasts

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s president has rejected any international probe into the catastrophic Beirut port blast, saying a missile or negligence could have been responsible.

The political class has come under fire once again the explosion which killed at least 154 people and devastated swathes of the capital

The revelation that a huge shipment of hazardous ammonium nitrate had languished for years in a warehouse in the heart of the capital served as proof decay at the core of their political system.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun admitted Friday that the “paralysed” system needed to be “reconsidered”. He pledged “swift justice”, but rejected widespread calls for an international probe telling a reporter he saw it as an attempt to “dilute the truth”.

“There are two possible scenarios for what happened: it was either negligence or foreign interference through a missile or bomb,” he said.

This is the first time a top Lebanese official raised the possibility that the port had been attacked. It remains unclear what ignited the massive shipment of chemicals while others suspected fireworks stored either in the same place or nearby.

Rescue teams from France, Russia, Germany, Italy and other countries coordinated their search efforts near the site of the explosion.

READ MORE: Pakistan sends relief goods to Beirut after deadly explosions

The World Food Programme has promised food for affected families and wheat imports to replace lost stocks from the silos, and US President Donald Trump said he would join other leaders in a conference call on Sunday to discuss coordinating international aid.

Four bodies were uncovered near the port’s control room on Friday, where a significant number of people were expected to have been working at the time of the blast. No one has been found alive.

Beirut has received a stream of international assistance since the blast. On Friday, relief flights from Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates landed in Lebanon, following others from France, Kuwait, Qatar and Russia.

Interpol has said it will send a team of experts who are specialised in identifying victims. The World Health Organization, meanwhile, called for $15 million to cover immediate health needs.

READ MORE: FM Qureshi expresses sorrow over loss of lives in Beirut

Lebanon’s hospitals were heavily damaged by the blast and overwhelmed by casualties. The United Nations said up to 100,000 children are among the 300,000 people made homeless, including many who have been separated from their families.

The destruction from the blast is estimated to cost more than $3 billion and many world leaders, advocacy groups and Lebanese have demanded an international probe to ensure impartiality.

Lebanon’s probe has so far led to 21 arrests, including the port’s general manager Hassan Koraytem, other customs officials and port engineers.

Dozens more were being interrogated by Lebanon’s military court, which is focusing on administrative and security officials at the port as well as government authorities who may have ignored warnings about explosive materials.