India to Extend Help to Lebanon

New Delhi: India on Thursday announced that it will extend assistance to the financially-torn Lebanon that was gutted after two massive explosions in capital city Beirut earlier this week. The death toll rose to more than 157 on Thursday as a result of a shipment of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that blew up near Beirut port. Also Read – Such Comments Are Deeply Regrettable: MEA on Pakistan’s Reaction to Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan

Over 5,000 people have been injured, while nearly 300,000 people were left homeless after the blasts. Also Read – Just Like Beirut Blast, Mumbai Too Was Rocked by a Massive Dock Explosion 76 Years Ago; Here’s What Happened

“We have sought an assessment on damage from Lebanon. On its basis, we will decide the nature of assistance that we will extend to them. There have been no reported casualties among Indians, only 5 minor injuries,” MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said at a press briefing earlier today. Also Read – These ‘Before & After’ Images of Beirut Show the Extensive Damage & Destruction Caused By Explosion | Watch

The explosion was caught on camera by many and widely shared across social media platforms, as people saw a mushroom-like cloud of smoke rising into the sky from the port area, what appeared to be an initial explosion. A second explosion took place within minutes and left buildings damaged, blowing out windows and doors.

Miles from the scene of the blast, balconies were knocked down, ceilings collapsed and windows were left shattered.

On Wednesday, Lebanese President Michel Aoun declared a two-week-long ‘state of emergency’ in Beirut, handing the control of the capital’s security to the military.

“It is unacceptable that a shipment of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate has been present for six years in a warehouse, without taking preventive measures,” Prime Minister Hassan Diab had said.

Source: India news