Lebanon's Army found more explosive materials stored in 143 containers as a result of search operations carried out at the Beirut port, according to a report by the Daily Star on Friday.
The report comes following a deadly explosion that killed almost 200 and destroyed much of the port area and surrounding infrastructure. News of the discovery came from a Lebanese Army officer, who told current President Michel Aoun during a meeting on Friday. It is estimated that the recently discovered material, which has been reported to be highly dangerous ammonium nitrate, the same material that caused the explosion in early August, calculates at 4.35 tons and has been stored in the area since 2004-2005.
During the meeting between Aoun, army officers and different NGOs representatives, the former stressed the importance of continuing rubble clearing operations, securing aid and assessing the damage to infrastructure in the area as part of the reconstruction process.
Aoun also said that organizations involved in the immediate aftermath of the explosions have thus far produced positive results. The Lebanese Army also commended the work of different organizations, which recovered 24 bodies from the rubble, including nine firefighters and workers, while also noting that an additional nice people were still missing.
The blast in early August, which came due to the detonation of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate that was stored at the port for six years, resulted in the death of at least 192 people, and injured approximately 6,500, with another 300,000 made homeless due to the destruction of their residences.
Since the explosion, Lebanon's police have arrested 25 people, including the port's head.