Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to holding all those responsible for the 2020 Beirut Port explosion accountable, five years after the devastating incident.

Speaking on Monday to mark the tragedy’s fifth anniversary, Mr Aoun said, “The Lebanese state and its institutions are obligated to establish the truth in spite of the challenges and the high positions held by some of the suspects. There is one law for everyone.”

He stressed that the government was using every available means to ensure the investigation remained transparent and impartial.

Since taking office in 2025, Mr Aoun has pledged to prioritise justice for victims of the disaster, vowing that no one would escape punishment, whether due to carelessness, negligence, or corruption.

The explosion occurred on August 4, 2020, when approximately 2,700 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, confiscated in 2014 and stored in a port warehouse, detonated during welding work.

The blast killed between 170 and 220 people, injured more than 6,000, and displaced 300,000 residents.

Two coastal neighbourhoods were destroyed, with economic losses estimated at more than $15 billion.

(RIA/NAN)