'I was absolutely appalled and shocked by the scenes from Lebanon,' says Prime Minister Boris Johnson He says the UK 'will continue to focus on the needs of the people of Lebanon'
The country's Supreme Defence Council insisted that those found responsible would face the"maximum punishment".
As I look at the neighbourhood of Gemmayze just behind the port, I don't think I can see a single pane of glass left. Entire roofs have gone - I can see friends' apartments which are just open to the sky now. All of this area, which was really heavily populated, has been abandoned. No one is coming back here anytime soon.
The thing that really strikes me is how enormously stupid it was, what criminal negligence it took to leave this highly explosive material right in the very heart of this city, within yards of people, their homes, their businesses. And the authorities here knew - they had been warned that these chemicals were dangerous and that they were a great risk to Beirut and Lebanon.
Port General Manager Hassan Koraytem told OTV they had been aware that the material was dangerous when a court first ordered it stored in the warehouse,"but not to this degree".Rami Ruhayem has been to Gemmayze, the closest residential area to the port
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