Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can download this video to view it offline.
Angry protesters clashed with police late Thursday in Lebanon’s capital over the blast that killed more than 130 people earlier in the week.
Riot police used tear gas to disperse the crowd gathered near an entrance of parliament in central Beirut, after some demonstrators burned objects and threw rocks at security forces.
Many Lebanese blame the disastrous explosion on Lebanon's political elites, accusing them of corruption and mismanagement, as the country is on the verge of economic collapse.
Earlier Thursday, Beirut residents expressed their anger against the government during a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron.
Macron is the first foreign leader to visit Lebanon after Tuesday’s massive blast at the port of Beirut that left large parts of the city in a shamble of wrecked buildings, burned-out cars, and dust.
Macron said he will organize an international conference to raise funds for Lebanon but warned Lebanese leaders they will not be getting “blank checks,” adding that any money to help Beirut recover must come with what he calls a “new political order” to replace a “system that no longer has the trust of its people.”
Speaking at a news conference, Macron said “if reforms are not carried out, Lebanon will continue to sink. What is also needed here is political change. This explosion should be the start of a new era.”
The French president toured the wrecked port and some of the devastated neighborhoods, promising residents that the money would go directly to aid groups and those who need it, and would be given out with transparency and “not go into the hands of corruption.”
Some bystanders shouted “Revolution!” and “Down with the regime!” as Macron walked through the debris-covered streets.
There have been a lot of previous promises from the international community to help Lebanon, but little money was actually given to the country. Donors cite corruption and various Lebanese factions, including Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorists massed along the southern border with Israel.
Authorities believe tons of ammonium nitrite stored in warehouses for the last six years led to the explosion that has killed 137, wounded more than 5,000, and left 300,000 homeless.
Officials say they expect the death toll to go up as they pick through the wreckage. Initial damage estimates are as high as $15 billion.
Health officials also fear the disaster will aggravate the coronavirus outbreak after victims packed hospitals and the homeless sought shelter.
Police and forensic officers work at the scene of an explosion which took place yesterday at the port of Lebanon's capital Beirut, on Aug. 5, 2020.
Lebanon’s Cabinet declared a two-week state of emergency and ordered the military to place under house arrest anyone involved in warehousing the explosive material that detonated at the port.
President Michel Aoun has pledged those accountable would face “the most severe penalties.”
A Lebanese official who is a target in the probe has tried to shift blame for the explosives at the port. Badri Daher, head of the Customs Department, told LBC television late Wednesday that officials sent as many as six letters to the judiciary over the years asking that the ammonium nitrate be removed because of the dangers it presented.
Daher said he could do nothing more than alert authorities, even if it meant “extra work” for him and his predecessor. Daher also maintained the port authority was responsible for the explosive material, while his responsibility was to prevent smuggling and collect duties.
Map of area where Beirut explosion occurred in Lebanon on Aug. 4, 2020.
Human Rights Watch meanwhile has called for an independent investigation of the explosion. The group said international experts should be allowed into Lebanon to “determine the causes and responsibility for the explosion and recommend measures to ensure it cannot happen again.”
Russia flew in a mobile military hospital along with 50 medical workers. Qatar is also sending a field hospital while Iraq is supplying a crew of medical workers and truckloads of supplies.
Tunisia offered to bring patients there for treatment and Germany has dispatched a team of rescue experts and search dogs.
Cash pledges have come in from Australia, Britain, and Hungary.
The commander of the U.S. Central Command, General Frank McKenzie, says the Pentagon is actively engaged in delivering food, water, and medical supplies to the Lebanese Armed Forces to meet the critical needs of the Lebanese people.”
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said the Trump administration will announce details of additional help for Lebanon in coming days.
VOA's Nike Ching and Patsy Widakuswara contributed to this story.