Lebanon's caretaker PM and ex-ministers charged over Beirut blast

Four officials accused of negligence in connection with explosion at port, which killed more than 200 people

A prosecutor has charged Lebanon's acting prime minister and three former ministers in connection with the port blast that killed more than 200 people and disfigured the heart of Beirut, in a rare move against the country's ruling elite.

The charges come four months after the catastrophic explosion on 4 August and amid fears that there has been little progress in the investigation into what caused it. Caretaker PM, Hassan Diab, and former ministers Ali Hassan Khalil, Ghazi Zaiter and Youssef Fenianos were accused of failing to respond to warnings ahead of the disaster that 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored unsafely at the port posed a growing danger to residents.