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Beirut explosion victims include citizens of six states

19 more victims’ nationality still needs to be identified

BEIRUT, August 7. /TASS/. Citizens of six countries became victims of a devastating explosion in the Beirut seaport, while 19 more victims’ nationality still needs to be identified, the Lebanese Health Ministry reported Friday.

It was earlier reported that the tragedy killed 154 people, however, the healthcare agency’s statistic only shows 152 deaths. It also specifies the hospitals where bodies were taken. There are eight Syrians, six Bangladeshi citizens, three Filipinos, one Australian, one Pakistani and one Egyptian among the dead. The other victims are all Lebanese. There are no Russians on the list.

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A powerful blast rocked the Beirut seaport area near the Lebanese Navy’s base on August 4, sending a shockwave through residential neighborhoods of the Lebanese capital. The shockwave destroyed and damaged dozens of buildings and cars, while more than 300,000 people were left without homes. Local authorities say the blast was caused by the detonation of more than 2,700 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, stored in the port after being confiscated by customs services in 2015. According to the latest updates, nearly 5,000 people were injured, while dozens more are missing. Authorities say that reckless welding work caused the chemicals to explode.

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