MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th August, 2020) France will send tonnes of medical aid to the Lebanese capital of Beirut, which was severely affected by a massive blast on Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday.
"We are deploying a civil security detachment and several tonnes of medical equipment to Lebanon. Emergency workers will also reach Beirut as soon as possible to strengthen the hospitals. France is already engaged," Macron wrote on Twitter.
Later on Wednesday, French Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly said that the government had equipped two military planes to deliver some 20 tonnes of medical supplies necessary to treat victims of the Beirut explosion.
"Two military aircraft - an A400M Atlas and an A330 Phoenix-take off today to deliver French aid to Lebanon: on board, personnel @Interieur_Gouv [French Interior Ministry], @francediplo [French Foreign Ministry], @MinSoliSante [French Health Ministry], as well as more than 20 tons of equipment to support the Lebanese in the face of this tragedy," Parly tweeted.
The massive blast occurred in the Port of Beirut on Tuesday evening, preceded by a smaller explosion. The disaster caused at least 100 deaths and left some 4,000 injured, with many more missing. The explosions also damaged half of the buildings in the Lebanese capital.
The Lebanese authorities say the Beirut explosion was likely to have been caused by the detonation of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate that were stored improperly in a warehouse for six years.
