Ramaphosa reacts to Beirut blast: SA praying for people of Lebanon
JOHANNESBURG - President Cyril Ramaphosa has reacted to the Beirut blast saying South Africa's thoughts and prayers are with the people of Lebanon in the aftermath of the disaster.
President Ramaphosa has sent South Africa's deepest condolences to the families that have lost loved ones.
Around 100 people were killed and more than 4,000 others were hurt when the massive blast went off at a port on Tuesday.
Officials say warehouses there had been storing explosive material unsafely.
While Ramaphosa has sent South Africa's message of solidarity to the people of Beirut, he's made no mention on the situation unfolding in Zimbabwe.
Just across the border activists are calling on the South African government to intervene in what they say is a brutal government crackdown.
UP TO 300,000 LEFT HOMELESS BY BEIRUT BLAST: GOVERNOR
A huge blast in Beirut has left 300,000 people homeless and caused damage across half of the city estimated to cost more than $3 billion, its governor told AFP on Wednesday.
"I think there are between 250,000 and 300,000 people who are now without homes," said Marwan Aboud, adding that the estimated cost of the damage from Tuesday's explosion was between $3.0 billion and $5.0 billion dollars.
Engineers and technical teams have yet to conduct an official assessment, he said, adding that damage from the blast in the port area seems to have extended over half of the city.
Additional reporting by AFP
