US EditionLebanon awaits justice 5 years after Beirut blast
BEIRUT GOVERNORATE, LEBANON, AUG 4 – The explosion killed over 220 people and left 300,000 homeless; stalled investigations face political obstruction but a possible indictment could come by year-end, officials say.
- On August 4, 2020, nearly 3,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate detonated at Beirut port, killing over 220 people and injuring thousands.
- This explosion resulted from improperly stored hazardous materials amid Lebanon's history of civil conflict and state crisis.
- The blast devastated Beirut’s port and surrounding neighborhoods, halting full operations and leaving housing and cultural sites damaged.
- Despite ongoing judicial investigations led by Judge Tarek Bitar and fresh arrest warrants, no senior officials have yet been convicted five years later.
- Lebanon continues facing economic struggles and political obstruction, while reconstruction progresses slowly and community resilience persists amid uncertainty.
142 Articles
142 Articles
Lebanon criticized over failure to provide justice for families of Beirut explosion victims
Human Rights Watch condemned Lebanese authorities on Monday over their inaction in the devastating explosion in Beirut’s port on August 4, 2020, failing to deliver an explanation to victims and their families. The blast, one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history, killed at least 236 people, injured 7,000, and destroyed large parts of the capital. “Justice delayed is justice denied,” said Reina Wehbi, Amnesty International’s Lebanon Ca…
So far no one has been held responsible for the disaster in the Lebanese capital. The new government wants to change this, but it is facing difficult times.
Beirut blast victims struggle as leaders evade blame
Five years ago, one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history ripped apart Beirut's waterfront with a terrifying power. The blast, which many still refer to as "the bomb," was not terrorism, nor was it war. It was caused by issues that have plagued Lebanon for years, and still do: municipal incompetence and government corruption. Leila Molana-Allen reports.
In Lebanon, the explosion in the port of Beirut was remembered five years ago.
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