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Explosion at Beirut port: Lebanese Embassy opens Book of Condolence in Accra, Monday

The Embassy of Lebanon in Ghana has announced the opening of a book of condolence next week in memory of the people who lost their lives in the explosion at the port of Beirut on August 4.

According to the statement, the book of commiseration would be opened on August 10, between 11am and 4pm for individuals and organisations to express their solidarity for the deceased and surviving victims of the incident.

“A book of condolence will be opened at the premises of the embassy on Monday August 10, 2020 from 11am to 4pm in memory of the victims of the explosion,” the statement said.

In the statement, the embassy offered it commendations to the government of Ghana and other organisations affiliated to the country.

As at yesterday a number of 150 deaths had been recorded with more than 5000 people injured as a result of the explosion, the Lebanon Embassy noted in its statement.

Reports indicate that, the explosion on Tuesday sent shockwaves across the city, causing widespread damage as far as the outskirts of Lebanese capital, Beirut.

Although the cause of the accident was not immediately known, officials linked the blast to some 2,750 tonnes of confiscated ammonium nitrate, a chemical formula which produces small porous pellets, mainly used as mining explosives, which had been kept in a warehouse at the port for six years.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has expressed concern about the recent explosion that led to the demise of more than 130 people in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, last Monday.

The blast also injured more than 4,000 people while destroying buildings and properties.

Expressing concern on his twitter handle yesterday, Mr Nkrumah noted that it was unfortunate for the people of Lebanon to engage in such attacks especially at the time that the world was fighting a deadly pandemic (COVID-19).

He called for prayers for those who lost their lives, the injured and those deeply affected by the explosion.

“My thoughts and prayers are with the dead, injured and affected in Lebanon,” Mr Nkrumah said.

Meanwhile officials of Lebanon were blaming the highly explosive materials which had been stored in a warehouse for about six years now as cause of the explosion.

The President of Lebanon, Michel Aoun, reacting to the incident, tweeted that it was “unacceptable” for 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate to be stored unsafely.

An investigation, he stated was under way to find the exact trigger for the explosion while the Supreme Defense Council indicated that those responsible for the explosion would face the “maximum punishment” possible.

President Aoun declared a three-day mourning period and pledged to release 100 billion lira (£50.5m; $66m) of emergency funds to assist the affected people.

BY JOYCELINE NATALLY CUDJOE

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