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Lebanese president says 'foreign interference' possible in Beirut blast

As investigations into Tuesday's deadly explosion continue, conspiracy theories abound.
TOPSHOT - A ship is pictured engulfed in flames at the port of Beirut following a massive explosion that hit the heart of the Lebanese capital on August 4, 2020. - Rescuers searched for survivors in Beirut on August 5 after a cataclysmic explosion at the port sowed devastation across entire neighbourhoods, killing more than 100 people, wounding thousands and plunging Lebanon deeper into crisis. (Photo by - / AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)

Lebanese President Michel Aoun said Tuesday’s catastrophic explosion could have been the result of “foreign interference.”

On Aug. 4, a massive explosion ripped through Beirut, killing more than 150 and injuring thousands. The blast destroyed much of Beirut's port and the surrounding neighborhoods. It was so big that it damaged buildings several miles outside of the city. Investigations so far have concluded that 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate, a fertilizer, caught fire and then exploded. Many in Lebanon are livid at the government for its apparent negligence in storing the highly explosive material so close to the country’s major population center.

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