Families of Beirut port explosion still searching for justice five years on

Families of the victims of a port explosion in Beirut are still searching for justice after an investigation into who is to blame has been repeatedly delayed. On 4 August, 2020, 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate exploded in a warehouse in the Lebanese capital, killing 218, wounding at least 6,000 and causing billions of dollars of damage. A probe into the explosion has been repeatedly stalled by various corrupt officials dodging accountability, The Associated Press reports, but newly elected president Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced earlier this year that completing the investigation would be a top priority. George Bezdjian, father of Jessica George Bezdjian, a Beirut explosion victim, told the news agency: “We will reach justice because we are still demanding it. We haven’t forgotten. It’s been five years, but it feels like yesterday.”

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