Jordan FM visits blast-stricken Lebanon to show support

By Riya Shrouti

BEIRUT (AA) – Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi arrived in Lebanon on Tuesday to show support to the country following last week’s Beirut port explosion.

Al-Safadi is expected to meet with his Lebanese counterpart Charbel Wehbe, according to Lebanese media.

The top Jordanian diplomat will also visit the Tel al-Zaatar camp for Palestinian refugees east of Tripoli.

On Monday, Lebanese President Michel Aoun accepted the government’s resignation and asked outgoing Prime Minister Hassan Diab to act as a caretaker premier.

The resignation came amid a growing public anger over the blast, which killed at least 160 people, injured thousands and left a vast trail of destruction across the capital.

The government has blamed a neglected stockpile of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse for the explosion.

The port blast, which rocked Beirut to its core, came at a time when Lebanon was already dealing with a severe financial crisis, and the coronavirus pandemic.

Protesters have taken to the streets with violent anti-government demonstrations for the past two days, storming official buildings and clashing with police.

*Bassel Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara