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| Beirut explosion: Death toll rises to 200 as third minister resigns | Beirut explosion: Death toll rises to 200 as third minister resigns |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| More than 200 people are believed to have been killed by Tuesday's devastating explosion in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, its governor has said. | More than 200 people are believed to have been killed by Tuesday's devastating explosion in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, its governor has said. |
| Marwan Abboud said dozens were still missing, many of them foreign workers. | Marwan Abboud said dozens were still missing, many of them foreign workers. |
| On Sunday there was a second night of violence in the city, as police clashed with protesters angry with the government's response to the disaster. | On Sunday there was a second night of violence in the city, as police clashed with protesters angry with the government's response to the disaster. |
| The resignations of three cabinet ministers and several MPs has failed to quell the fury. | |
| There were reports that Finance Minister Ghazi Wazni was also preparing to quit, ahead of a cabinet meeting called by Prime Minister Hassan Diab to discuss the crisis. | |
| Mr Diab has said the blast was the result of the detonation of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that had been stored unsafely at Beirut's port for six years. | Mr Diab has said the blast was the result of the detonation of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that had been stored unsafely at Beirut's port for six years. |
| The decision to keep so much hazardous material in a warehouse near the city centre has been met with disbelief by many Lebanese, who have long accused the political elite of corruption, neglect and mismanagement. | The decision to keep so much hazardous material in a warehouse near the city centre has been met with disbelief by many Lebanese, who have long accused the political elite of corruption, neglect and mismanagement. |
| More on the explosion in Beirut | More on the explosion in Beirut |
| Mr Abboud was quoted by the al-Marsad Online news website as saying the death toll from the explosion had risen to 220, and that 110 people remained missing. | Mr Abboud was quoted by the al-Marsad Online news website as saying the death toll from the explosion had risen to 220, and that 110 people remained missing. |
| He told the Al Jadeed TV channel that many foreign workers and lorry drivers were among the missing, which he said had made identifying them more difficult. | He told the Al Jadeed TV channel that many foreign workers and lorry drivers were among the missing, which he said had made identifying them more difficult. |
| The Lebanese army, meanwhile, said it was calling off the rescue phase of the search operation at the port because no survivors had been found. | The Lebanese army, meanwhile, said it was calling off the rescue phase of the search operation at the port because no survivors had been found. |
| Elsewhere in the city, hundreds of thousands of people are living in severely damaged homes, many without windows or doors. | Elsewhere in the city, hundreds of thousands of people are living in severely damaged homes, many without windows or doors. |
| Officials have estimated that the explosion caused more than $3bn (£2.3bn) of damage and that Lebanon's collective economic losses may amount to $15bn. | Officials have estimated that the explosion caused more than $3bn (£2.3bn) of damage and that Lebanon's collective economic losses may amount to $15bn. |
| The country was already suffering a major economic downturn before the explosion, with families pushed into poverty and hunger, and UN agencies have warned of a humanitarian crisis unless food and medical aid are delivered swiftly. | The country was already suffering a major economic downturn before the explosion, with families pushed into poverty and hunger, and UN agencies have warned of a humanitarian crisis unless food and medical aid are delivered swiftly. |
| International donors pledged $297m (£227m) in aid for Lebanon at a virtual summit on Sunday hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron. | International donors pledged $297m (£227m) in aid for Lebanon at a virtual summit on Sunday hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron. |
| A joint communique underscored their concerns about corruption, saying that the assistance should be "directly delivered to the Lebanese population, with utmost efficiency and transparency". | A joint communique underscored their concerns about corruption, saying that the assistance should be "directly delivered to the Lebanese population, with utmost efficiency and transparency". |
| The donors said further assistance was dependent on Lebanese authorities fully committing to "timely measures and reforms expected by the Lebanese people". | The donors said further assistance was dependent on Lebanese authorities fully committing to "timely measures and reforms expected by the Lebanese people". |