TRAGEDY IN BEIRUT

An enormous blast in Beirut has unfortunately killed at least 100 innocent people and more than 4.000 were injured.  A terrible, unnecessary tragedy.

President Michel Aoun

Lebanese officials are blaming highly explosive materials stored in a warehouse, near the port.  The President of Lebanon, Michel Aoun said that it was "unacceptable" that 2.750 tons of ammonium nitrate were stored, hazardously in a warehouse.  We couldn't agree more.


How could this extremely dangerous element be stored in a densely populated area of the city?  The waterfront neighbourhood with numerous offices, restaurants and nightclubs was flattened out.  Also, a number of crowded residential neighbourhoods in the city's eastern and predominantly Christan sector were also seriously ravaged.


Unfortunately, the number of the dead is climbing steadily, throughout the day, and the amount of wounded escalating tremendously. Catastrophic death and devastation.

Hospitals are so overwhelmed that they cannot accept any more injured.  The Lebanese Red Cross said that every available ambulance from all over Lebanon was dispatched to Beirut to help the patients.


The United States, the European Union, the Arab countries and China are sending help to Lebanon in any possible way, to partially ease this tremendous disaster,


I wish to condole all who lost their loved ones in such a tragic way and to express my admiration to the residents of Beirut and Lebanon in general for their resilience, courage and bravery.   

A