Hundreds of Lebanese gathered on the Beirut waterfront on Monday to commemorate the victims of the devastating explosion that rocked the city’s port five years ago. The 2020 explosion, one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history, killed more than 200 people.
People came with Lebanese flags and portraits of the victims, expressing their anger at the lack of accountability for the tragedy. “Five years have passed and we still don’t know the truth,” said William Noun, brother of Joseph, a firefighter who died in the explosion. “Why are we still standing here? If everyone supports our cause, who is preventing justice from being done?” From the stage at the port, he added: “This case must be closed. We don’t want a sixth year to pass without justice.”
The disaster destroyed huge areas of Beirut, leaving tens of thousands of people homeless. At the site of the destroyed grain silo, which was severely damaged in the explosion and has continued to collapse since then, the names of all those who died were read out. At exactly 6:07 p.m., the exact time of the explosion, those gathered honoured the victims with a minute of silence.
Catherine Otaiek, a 30-year-old Lebanese woman living in France, said she returns every year to commemorate the tragedy. “I still can’t believe that five years later we haven’t received any answers. I was hoping for the truth back in 2020,” she said.
The investigation has stalled
The tragedy is believed to have been caused by a fire in a warehouse where hundreds of tonnes of ammonium nitrate were stored. The authorities promised to complete the investigation within five days, but political pressure and interference have delayed the process for years. High-ranking officials are filing lawsuits against judges, which has effectively paralysed the case.
Nevertheless, some citizens remain hopeful for change. President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who took office this year, have promised to seek justice. Aoun said those responsible would be held accountable regardless of their status or political connections. “Justice will not disappear, and punishment is inevitable,” he stressed. However, neither he nor the prime minister attended the ceremony.
Judge Tarek Bitar resumed the investigation this year and has already questioned several officials, but the preliminary indictment, which was expected by the anniversary, has not been made public.
“We are seeking a comprehensive and complete indictment,” said Paul Naghir, who lost his three-year-old daughter Alexandra in the tragedy. “We want to know who was supposed to evacuate our neighbours so that we could get to the hospital and possibly save her.”
Paul and his wife Tracy are actively seeking justice. Human rights organisations are also calling for a comprehensive investigation to determine the entire chain of responsibility. “Delaying justice is a denial of justice,” said Reina Vehbi of Amnesty International in Lebanon. “The families of the victims and survivors have waited five years. They should not be made to wait another year.”
