Lebanese President Michel Aoun did not rule out the involvement of external forces in the Beirut bombing.
"The cause of the explosion has not yet been determined, there is a possibility of interference by external forces through the use of a rocket, bomb or other means," the head of state was quoted as saying by the Lebanese MTV channel.
The authorities want to find out whether an "external attack" was organized, or there was a fire in the port.
Aoun noted that he asked French President Emmanuel Macron during his visit to Beirut for satellite images of the moment of the explosion in the port. If Paris is not able to provide them, Lebanon will ask other countries.
An explosion occurred on Tuesday in the area of the seaport of Beirut near the base of the Lebanese Navy. The blast wave destroyed and damaged dozens of homes, many cars, and shattered windows in many districts of the capital.
According to local authorities, the cause of the explosion was the detonation of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate, confiscated by the customs services in 2014, stored in a warehouse.
According to the latest data, 154 people were killed in the explosion, and about five thousand were injured. The country is in mourning. The capital of Lebanon is recognized as a disaster area, and a state of emergency has been declared in the city for two weeks.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Creative Commons
Based on materials from RIA Novosti