FBI to join Beirut blast probe: US envoy

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will join investigators probing the cause of a huge blast at Beirut port that destroyed swathes of the Lebanon capital city, a top career diplomat at the US State Department said on Thursday.

“The FBI will soon join Lebanese and international investigators, at the invitation of the Lebanese, in order to help answer questions that I know everyone has about the circumstances that led up to this explosion,” David Hale told reporters during a tour of a heavily damaged neighbourhood near the port.

Two massive explosions rocked the city of Beirut on August 4, which has killed over 170 people and wounded more than 6,000. More than a quarter of a million people have become homeless after the blasts as the explosions sent shock waves across the city, shaking buildings and shattering glasses. President Michel Aoun has said that the damage costs from the blast has topped $15 billion. 

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Following the blasts, several people took to the streets of Beirut protesting against the Lebanese government, blaming them for the blast. The explosions have been widely seen as a direct consequence of the state’s incompetence and corruption. Tonnes of ammonium nitrate, which was stored in Beirut’s warehouse, have been blamed for the blasts.

Entire government, including Prime Minister Hassan Diab, have resigned following protests. A probe has been started and a Lebanese prosecutor will question several ministers and former ministers in connection with the blasts.