The head of the European Council Charles Michel proposed to conduct an independent investigation of the explosion in the port of Beirut. This is stated in the statement of the EU Council, circulated on Saturday, August 8.
“The Chairman visited the port of Beirut to assess the scale of the disaster. He called for an independent investigation to shed light on the causes of this catastrophe, and offered European expertise, ”the European Council said.
During his visit, the President of the Council of Europe met with President Michel Aoun, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berry and Chairman of the Council of Ministers Hassan Diab.
Earlier in the day, it was reported that Aoun had learned of the ammonium nitrate stockpile weeks before the disaster.
On the eve it became known that the perpetrators of the explosion, which occurred in the capital of Lebanon, will be established by a military tribunal.
A powerful explosion occurred in the port of the Lebanese capital Beirut on 4 August. As a result of the incident, more than 150 people were killed, and more than 5 thousand people were injured.
The explosion was attributed to the ignition of 2.7 tons of ammonium nitrate during welding. 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.