Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab has pledged that those responsible for a massive explosion in Beirut's port, which killed dozens of people and wounded thousands, would be held to account, Trend reports citing Al Jazeera.
"What happened today will not pass without accountability," he said in a televised address on Tuesday.
"Those responsible for this catastrophe will pay the price."
The exact cause of the explosion that was felt across the capital was not immediately clear, but officials said it could be linked to "explosive materials" confiscated and stored in a warehouse "for years".
Diab, in his speech, promised announcements about "this dangerous warehouse that has been in existence for six years, since 2014."
The prime minister also appealed for international assistance to help Lebanon, already struggling with its worst economic crisis and a surging coronavirus outbreak.
"I am sending an urgent appeal to all countries that are friends and brothers and love Lebanon, to stand by its side and help us treat these deep wounds," said Diab, whose government gained confidence in February after anti-establishment protesters forced the resignation fo the government of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri.