Lebanon's President Michel Aoun has not ruled out the possibility of foreign interference in the devastating explosion in the capital Beirut, saying that investigators are inspecting whether a missile or bomb could have been used in the incident.
According to Aoun's statement issued by his office, the investigation into the deadly blast is divided into three stages.
"First, how the explosive material entered and was stored ... second whether the explosion was a result of negligence or an accident ... and third the possibility that there was external interference", the statement read.
The president added that he had asked French President Emmanuel Macron to provide Lebanon with aerial photos to determine whether there was any evidence of aircraft or missiles. He noted that if Paris does not obtain them, Beirut will ask other countries to do it.
Beirut Blast
A massive explosion took place at the port of Beirut late on August 4 and affected nearly half of the capital.
As of Friday, the death toll has grown to 154 and around 5,000 others are injured, of whom 120 are in critical condition.
According to the Lebanese authorities, the blast was linked to improper storage of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate in the port. The three-day mourning period for the victims of the tragedy started on Wednesday and a two-week state of emergency in Beirut is in place, with a possible extension.