Nearly 80 containers with dangerous chemicals found in Beirut port

Lebanese military specialists and their French colleagues have found 79 containers with dangerous chemicals in the port of Beirut, where a deadly blast occurred earlier this month, the Lebanese army informs.

"During the period between August 14 and 22, 25 containers with hydrochloric acid were found, as well as 54 containers that contained other chemicals, the leakage of which could be catastrophic," the Lebanese army said in a Monday statement.

On August 4, the Lebanese capital was rocked by an exceptionally powerful blast which sent shock waves miles away from its epicentre in the port of Beirut. Entire districts adjacent to the port area were destroyed.

The massive blast, caused by improper storage of explosive ammonium nitrate in the Beirut port, brought widespread destruction and left over 170 people killed and more than 40,000 others injured. The Lebanese government declared a state of emergency in the capital and resigned less than a week later, following public anger that caused thousands of protesters to take to the streets of Beirut.