Lebanon is seeking to arrest the foreign owner and captain of the MV Rhosus, the ship which delivered the explosive material to Beirut years ago, leading to a massive explosion and 190 deaths. The ammonium nitrate was improperly stored at the port and caught fire on August 4. Lebanon’s probe into the event lead to the arrest of the two men by the international police organization Interpol, and their identities have not been made public.
The deadly blast also left thousands injured and destroyed a portion of Lebanon’s capital city, flooding hospitals amid a national health crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic. The ship allegedly docked in Beirut in 2013 after suffering from technical problems on its way to Mozambique, carrying 2,700 tonnes of ammonium nitrate. The owner of the ship has been named as a Russian national. The MV Rhosus sank at the port in February 2018 due to poor conditions.
