Survivors, rights groups call for Beirut blast investigation

More than a year after the blast at Beirut’s port, Lebanese and international rights groups, survivors and family members reiterated their call for the United Nations Human Rights Council to establish an independent investigation into the explosion that killed more than 200 people.

The August 2020 blast at Lebanon’s most vital port killed at least 215 people, injured over 6,500 and displaced more than 300,000 from their homes. Much of the Lebanese capital was harmed by the accident, which caused billions in damage and added to the small Mediterranean country’s dire economic situation.

The signatories of the joint letter calling for Beirut blast investigation, which included Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, said an international investigation would assist, rather than impede, the ongoing domestic probe.