Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- An explosion could have occurred during welding work to seal the holes through which attackers could steal ammonium nitrate stored in one of the warehouses

The explosion in the port of Beirut occurred during welding. The Lebanese TV channel LBC International reports.

According to the authorities, at one of the port’s warehouses there were 2,750 tons of confiscated ammonium nitrate. To avoid theft of the substance, the port officials decided to seal up small holes through which intruders could enter the warehouse. Detonation occurred during welding.

Governor claims damage to half of Beirut’s administrative region.

Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab, commenting on this information, said: “I will not rest until we find the person responsible for what happened, in order to bring him to justice and impose the most severe punishments on him, because it is unacceptable for the party ammonium nitrate, estimated at 2,750 tons, was in stock for six years without any preventive measures. "

Lebanese President Michel Naeem Aoun announced the need to investigate the incident and punish those responsible, especially since security reports indicated that the room contained flammable and explosive materials.

- according to the Ministry of Health, the death toll exceeded 100, more than 4 thousand people were injured;

- Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab called to investigate the causes of the explosion in the port in Beirut and bring those responsible to justice within 48 hours;

- Emmanuel Macron announced the dispatch of medical equipment and doctors to Lebanon;

- only 48 UN employees, as well as 27 members of their families were injured, said the deputy general secretary of the organization Farhan Khak;

- The Defense Council of Lebanon decided to declare Beirut a disaster area and introduce a state of emergency in the city from 4 to 18 August;

- after the explosion, the seismic center in Jordan recorded an oscillation of the earth’s crust with a magnitude of 4.5