Lebanese judge charges caretaker PM in Aug port blast

A statue of a woman made out of leftover glass, rubble, and a broken clock marking the time (6.08 pm) of the explosion at Beirut port is placed opposite to the site of the blast. PIC/AFP

The Lebanese prosecutor probing last summer's port explosion in Beirut filed charges on Thursday against the caretaker prime minister and three former ministers, accusing them of negligence leading to the death of hundreds of people, Lebanon's official news agency said.

Judge Fadi Sawwan filed the charges against Hassan Diab and former Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil, as well as Ghazi Zeiter and Youssef Fenianos, both former ministers of public works.

All four were charged with carelessness and negligence leading to death over the Aug. 4 explosion at Beirut's port, which killed over 200 people and injured thousands. The explosion was caused by the ignition of a large stockpile of explosive material that had been stored at the port for years, with the knowledge of top security officials and politicians who did nothing about it.

The four are the most senior individuals to be indicted so far in the probe. Diab, who became PM last year, resigned a few days after the blast, but has continued to function in caretaker capacity while efforts to form a new government has floundered amid political disputes.

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