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August 6, 2020

Beirut Blast Destroys Grain Silo and Leaves 300,000 Homeless, Adding to Humanitarian Crisis
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In Lebanon, the death toll from Tuesday's massive explosion at the Port
of Beirut has risen to 137, with dozens still missing and over 5,000
injured. The explosion completely leveled Lebanon's largest grain silo,
leaving the country with less than a month's reserve of grain. Beirut's
city governor says up to 300,000 people lost their homes to the
explosion, compounding a humanitarian crisis that followed economic
collapse and a surge of coronavirus cases across Lebanon.

Officials say the blast was triggered by over 2,700 tons of ammonium
nitrate stored in a warehouse at Beirut's port. The highly explosive
industrial fertilizer was reportedly seized from a Russian-leased cargo
ship bound for Mozambique in 2013 but never properly secured. The
Lebanese government says it has placed several port officials under
house arrest. Public outrage at government officials is exploding across
Lebanon with the hashtag "#Hang Up The Nooses" trending on social media.