Victims of the Beirut Port Explosion, along with Swiss foundation Accountability Now, filed a $250 million lawsuit in Texas on Monday against US-Norwegian geophysical company TGS.
According to a press release on Wednesday, Accountability Now explained that TGS owns Spectrum Geo, which had “chartered the derelict Moldavian flagged vessel Rhosus to come to Beirut while carrying 2750 tons of military-grade ammonium nitrate aboard.”
It is to note that, according to an investigative report, the ammonium nitrate was never officially seized by the Lebanese authorities.
Back in January 2021, Interpol issued Red Notices for 3 people in relation to the transportation of ammonium nitrate to Lebanon: the owner and the captain of the MV Rhosus ship that docked at the Port of Beirut, and the Portuguese ammonium nitrate trader who inspected the ammonium nitrate in the port’s Warehouse 12, several years ago.
It has been almost two years since the Blast occurred and citizens of Lebanon continue to await justice to be served.
No one has yet been held accountable for the explosion due to the country’s political unrest, corruption, and negligence of the government.
The Beirut Port Explosion occurred in August. 4, 2020, resulting in over 234 deaths, 7,000 injuries, and 300,000 people being displaced, in addition to massive destruction in the Lebanese capital.
The Blast has been described as the largest non-nuclear explosion in history.
This lawsuit is a step closer to bringing justice to the victims of the explosion.
Related: The Politics Behind The Massive Explosion At Beirut Port Explained.
