WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th August, 2020) The US Defense Department is still gathering information about the massive explosion in Beirut, but most officials think it was an accident, US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said on Wednesday.
"Yes, still getting information on what happened - most believe it was an accident as reported," Esper said in virtual remarks to the Aspen Security Forum.
On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump said US generals he spoke with thought the explosion was a bomb.
Esper said the United States wants to help and the US military is positioning itself to provide humanitarian aid to Lebanon.
Earlier on Wednesday, Lebanese Health Minister Hamad Hassan said that the death toll from the explosion had risen to 135 and about 5,000 others have been injured.
Beirut Governor Marwan Abboud said the damage from the Beirut explosion is estimated to be between $10 billion to $15 billion.
According to the Lebanese authorities, the blasts were caused by the improper storage of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate. The explosions damaged half of Beirut's buildings and roughly 300,000 people have been made homeless, according to Abboud.
