Lebanon: Prosecutor general charges 25 over Beirut port explosion

Shafaq News/ Lebanon's Prosecutor General Ghassan Oueidat has pressed charges against 25 people, including senior port and customs officials and security officers, over the massive Beirut port blast.

It was not immediately clear what the exact charges were. Legal sources said the suspects would now be referred to a criminal court to be tried.

The judicial source said 19 of them were detained following the Aug. 4 explosion at a warehouse that Lebanese authorities said housed highly-explosive material for years which detonated.

Last Tuesday, a massive explosion blew the port of Beirut, leaving dozens dead and thousands injured, as well as dozens missing.

The devastating explosion also resulted in heavy material losses, as large parts of the city were destroyed and thousands of families were displaced.

Officials stated that 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate had been stored for more than 6 years in the warehouse, which is believed to be the reason behind the explosion.

And Lebanese President, Michel Aoun, stressed, earlier, that investigations have been opened to uncover the causes of the explosion.