5 August
Lebanese media quote the country's public health minister as saying that 73 people are dead and 3,700 injured following a massive explosion that ripped through Beirut on Tuesday.
The Lebanese government says that about 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate, a chemical also used to make explosives, had been stored at a warehouse since 2014 where the blast occurred.
The government says an investigative committee will be launched to determine the cause of the explosion and to identify those responsible. It says results of the probe will be released within 48 hours.
Lebanon's Prime Minister Hassan Diab has called for public unity and asked for support from friendly nations.
The blast, which occurred at a port district in Beirut, damaged buildings and vehicles over a wide area.
The Japanese embassy in Lebanon says one Japanese national who lives in Beirut was treated in hospital after sustaining cuts to the hands and feet from broken glass. The person's injuries are reportedly light.
The Lebanese government has been cash-strapped due to a prolonged economic crisis. Observers are raising concerns about the impact of the explosion amid growing anti-government sentiment.
-NHK
