One United States citizen was killed and several more were wounded in the Lebanon blast that devastated its capital this week.
The explosion rocked the port area of Beirut and has killed at least 157 people and wounded 5,000 more, a number that has steadily climbed since Tuesday. A State Department spokesperson told the Washington Examiner on Thursday that it is still working to determine if more people from the U.S. were killed or injured in the incident. The U.S. has not yet released the names of those affected.
“We offer our sincerest condolences to their loved ones and are working to provide the affected U.S. citizens and their families all possible consular assistance,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “We are working closely with local authorities to determine if any additional U.S. citizens were affected.”
Beirut Gov. Marwan Abboud said Wednesday that the incident left between 250,000 and 300,000 people homeless. Experts have said the blast resulted in an explosion of about 10% of the intensity of the atomic bomb that the U.S. dropped on Hiroshima.
Hospitals across the city have been overwhelmed by the devastation. One hospital, Hotel-Dieu de France, told the Washington Examiner on Wednesday that some 700 wounded people have received treatment there since the blast, and 70 of those with moderate or severe injuries remain hospitalized. American University of Beirut Medical Center told the Washington Examiner that about 500 people were brought in and that it remains at full capacity.
Lebanese officials said that nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate stored at port facilities was likely the cause of the explosion, and the country’s Cabinet is placing an unspecified number of port officials under house arrest.
The cause is still under investigation. President Trump said at a news conference shortly after the blast that it may have been the result of a bomb going off, but Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Wednesday that “most believe it was an accident, as reported.” The State Department has not speculated on the cause of the explosion. The Washington Examiner has reached out to the White House about Trump’s “attack” remarks.
