The FBI is all set to join a team of international investigators to carry out a detailed investigation into the gigantic Beirut port blast that thrashed the city and left 172 killed with thousands injured.
As per the statement of U.S. Undersecretary for Political Affairs, David Hale, who visited demolished Beirut on Thursday, the aim of the probe in Lebanon is “to make sure something like this never happens again.” He also said Lebanon needed “economic and fiscal reforms, an end to dysfunctional governance and to empty promises”.
Lebanese President Michel Aoun has said the investigation will consider every angle that led to the blast. He has also asked France for satellite imagery for the probe. Earlier, a UK Royal Navy vessel was also deployed to Beirut to survey the damaged site.
News of U.S. participation came after Lebanon’s parliament on Thursday approved a state emergency in Beirut in its first session since the catastrophic explosion on August 4 which led to the handling of sweeping powers by military amid rising anger over government’s negligence and mismanagement.
The country then witnessed protest with people demanding resignation of the government. Following which the government of Prime Minister Hassan Diab resigned on Monday in less than a week after the blast that wrecked the Beirut port.
Before its retirement, the government declared the state of emergency that allowed military to declare curfews, ban public gatherings and censor the media.
Authorities have said the country faced an estimated loss of $15 billion from the blast, a bill Lebanon cannot pay as its talks with IMF had stalled due to default in its enormous sovereign debt.
It is still unknown what caused the fire that ignited nearly 3,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored for over six years in Beirut’s port. But a major section of the country has alleged that top leadership and security officials were aware of the accumulation.