A photo unveils negligence and corruption

Shafaq News / The Beirut blast was not caused by fireworks or an attack, but because of 2750 tons of high explosive ammonium nitrate stored in the port for years, as the authorities later acknowledged.

A picture trended on social media is said to confirm authorities' negligence, which caused the explosion that killed tens of people, injured thousands, and made hundreds of thousands of homeless.

In the photos, 3 men in front of a warehouse in the Port of Beirut, working without taking any safety measures. It is not known exactly when the photo was taken, but it seems recent, as one of the workers appears wearing a mask.

Billing Cat, a website specialized in investigating health of information, contended that the photo is genuine, and it belongs to the same place that the tweeters referred to, Beirut Port.

Ammonium nitrate bags were labeled "NITROPRIL," and according to the website, this is the brand name for ammonium produced by a company called "Orica".

In 2018, Lebanon was ranked 138 out of 175 by Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index.