Lebanese President Michel Aoun did not rule out the involvement of external forces in the explosion in Beirut. He stated this on Friday, August 7, according to the local TV channel MTV.
According to the politician, the cause of the explosion in the port of Beirut has not yet been established, but there is a possibility of outside interference. It could have been the use of a rocket, bomb or other impact, he noted.
Aoun added that he asked French President Emmanuel Macron during his visit to Beirut for satellite images of the explosion at the port. If not, the country will turn to other states to understand the nature of the explosion.
“The investigation of the explosion in the port of Beirut must be quick and immediate, but at the same time unhurried, and the judicial system must act quickly,” the politician said.
Earlier on Friday, the death toll in the explosion rose to 154. A day earlier, EMERCOM employees arrived in Beirut to deal with the consequences of the emergency. Mobile hospitals have been deployed in the Lebanese capital, and Russian doctors received the first victims.
On August 4, a powerful explosion thundered in the port of Beirut. The reason is the ignition of 2.7 tons of ammonium nitrate during welding. About 5 thousand people were injured. The facades of dozens of buildings were destroyed and damaged.
The governor of the city, Marwan Abboud, estimated the damage from the incident at $ 3-5 billion.