On Tuesday, a massive explosion shook Beirut in Lebanaon, killing scores of people, injuring thousands and caused widespread destruction across the capital city. The blast appeared to have been caused when highly explosive ammonium nitrate being stored at the city’s port ignited.
Days later, the city is limping back to normalcy even as condolences pour in from all quarters and other nations offer help. Many have been plunged into mourning, and it would seem that more are slated to join them. On Saturday, the Dutch foreign Ministry announced that the ambassador’s wife had died from wounds incurred during the blast.
An AP report added that Hedwig Waltmans-Molier had died Saturday morning. The wife of the Netherlands’ ambassador to Lebanon, she had been with her husband at the time of the explosion and had sustained injuries.
The blast has so far killed more than 150 people and over 5,000 have been wounded.
There have been many who have offered support in the wake of the deadly blasts. While the The United Nations has allocated USD 15 million to support Lebanon, US President Donald Trump and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron have agreed to send immediate aid.
Turkey’s Vice President Fuat Oktay says Ankara is ready to help Lebanon rebuild Beirut’s port and send ambulance planes to evacuate some of the wounded for treatment in Turkish hospitals. Oktay spoke on Saturday to reporters after meeting Lebanese President Michel Aoun. He added that a Turkish search team is working at the port that was destroyed in a massive explosion on Tuesday.
In the meantime, several officials have been arrested over the incident. 16 port employees were arrested over the devastating incident on Thursday, and a day later, three senior officials at the Port of Beirut were taken into custody.
Source: Free Press Journal
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