Beirut port blast: Death toll rises to 154, nearly 5,000 wounded

The death toll from Tuesday’s huge blast in Lebanon rose to 154, the country’s health minister confirmed on Friday.

Hamad Hasan told the state-run National News Agency that around 5,000 people were injured in the blast at the Port of Beirut, with 20% of them in need of medical treatment in hospitals.

He also said that 120 of injured are currently in critical condition and many others require delicate surgeries.

A fire at a warehouse at the Port of Beirut led to a huge blast on Tuesday causing massive material damage in several neighborhoods of the capital.

The Lebanese government announced the formation of an investigation committee to probe the deadly incident within a period of five days.

The blast rocked Lebanon while the country is experiencing its worst economic crisis, including a dramatic drop in the value of the Lebanese pound against the US dollar.

* Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara