Lebanon was marking the sixth anniversary of the deadly Beirut blast on Tuesday, but justice for the victims remains elusive despite recent progress in the investigation. Several senior political and security figures have been implicated but no one has been held accountable for one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history. The blast killed at least 220 people, injured thousands and left swathes of the Lebanese capital in ruins.Nearly 3,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that had been improperly stored at the port for years, despite repeated warnings to the authorities, exploded shortly after 6pm on August 4, 2020.A 2021 report from Human Rights Watch said that on July 20, 2020, Lebanon’s State Security sent a three-page report to the president at the time, Michel Aoun, and the then prime minister Hassan Diab indicating that ammonium nitrate, which “could be used to make explosives”, was being stored in Hangar 12. Mr Aoun and Mr Diab later admitted to having received the warning. The report states that Mr Diab was told about the ammonium nitrate in early June.This photograph shows a view of the destroyed silos of Beirut port on August 4, 2026. AFPShow caption: This photograph shows a view of the destroyed silos of Beiru…Lack of progressThe families of the victims have denounced the lack of progress in the investigation into the blast, which has been repeatedly impeded by legal action with lead judge Tarek Bitar forced to pause it for months. In March, Mr Bitar was finally able to complete his investigation and submit his findings to the prosecutor's office, where the thousands of pages of documents are still being reviewed.On Tuesday, the Beirut Bar Association highlighted the repeated delays and the early promises that “justice would be quick”.“But the years have proven that the road to justice is much longer and more difficult,” it lamented.On the fourth day of every month since the explosion, families of the victims have been holding vigils at the entrance to Beirut port to demand justice.On Tuesday, two demonstrations were due to congregate at the port entrance for a minute's silence at 6.07pm – the time the blast occurred six years ago. The names of the victims were to be read out.The government of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, formed at the start of 2025, has repeatedly emphasised that justice over the blast remains a key priority. Justice Minister Adel Nassar previously told The National that the Lebanese people “deserve the truth”.“Let no one doubt that there is no cover for any official, whatever their position, neither in the file of the Beirut port explosion nor in any other file. Accountability will spare no one,” said Mr Salam, who is a former head judge of the International Court of Justice.About 70 people are believed to be implicated in the case, including former senior ministers and security chiefs.The tragedy also exposed deep-rooted corruption and negligence at the heart of Lebanon’s political and judicial systems.