Lebanon explosion: president Michel Aoun promises transparent inquiry into Beirut blast

Baabda: Lebanon's president, Michel Aoun, said on Wednesday, August 5 that an investigation into a powerful blast that rocked Beirut would reveal the circumstances of what happened as soon as possible, and that the results would be revealed transparently.

In a televised speech at the start of an emergency cabinet meeting, Michel Aoun also appealed to other nations to speed up assistance efforts to Lebanon, which was already grappling with an economic meltdown. Initial investigations indicate years of inaction and negligence over the storage of highly explosive material caused the explosion that killed more than 100 people, an official source familiar with the findings said. 

Another source close to a port employee said a team that inspected the material six months ago warned it could "blow up all of Beirut" if not removed. The head of Beirut port and the head of customs both said on Wednesday that several letters were sent to the judiciary asking for the dangerous material be removed, but no action was taken.