Saturday 21 / December / 2024
PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron will go to Beirut on Thursday after two huge explosions rocked the Lebanese capital, his office said on Wednesday.
Macron, who spoke to Lebanese President Michel Aoun shortly after the explosions, pledged to provide assistance to Lebanon in a Twitter message.
"We are deploying a civil security detachment and several tonnes of medical equipment in Lebanon. Emergency doctors will also reach Beirut as soon as possible to reinforce hospitals. France is already engaged," he said.
Two French military planes with aboard assistance materials and medical staff were dispatched to support the Lebanese, announced the French Defense Ministry.
A third humanitarian assistance plane will leave for Beirut on Wednesday, announced French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.
Two huge explosions hit the Port of Beirut at around 6:10 p.m. local time (1610 GMT) on Tuesday, shaking buildings all over the city, killing at least 100 people and injuring 4,000 others in a toll that officials expect to rise.
The causes of the blasts remain unknown, but local officials said highly explosive material stored at the port may have led to the explosions.
