Five staffers of the Dutch Embassy in Lebanon were injured in the dramatic explosion in the port of Beirut, Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok said.
The massive explosion that hit the Lebanese capital on Tuesday has resulted in at least 78 fatalities and more than 4,000 injuries, causing damage to half of the city buildings, according to the governor.
Lebanese Red Cross Secretary General George Kettaneh said earlier in the day that the number of victims could reach 100.
According to Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab, the blast was caused by improper storage of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate.
“We are following the situation in #Beirut closely.
“Very sad to learn that five colleagues at the Dutch embassy are wounded,” Blok wrote on Twitter late on Tuesday.
The Dutch foreign minister extended condolences to the relatives of the victims.
According to Dutch media reports, only one of all those wounded sustained serious injuries.
Source:
Sputnik/NAN
