Rescuers assist demonstrators during a protest in Beirut, Lebanon on August 8, 2020 (Photo: Reuters)

10,000 people took part in confrontations in downtown Beirut to protest authority's negligence which indirectly  led to Tuesday’s blast that devastated much of the city and killed nearly 160 people. Dozens were still missing and nearly 6,000 people injured.

The blast was fueled by thousands of tons of ammonium nitrate that had been improperly stored at the Beirut port for more than six years. Apparently set off by a fire, the explosion was by far the biggest in Lebanon’s history and caused an estimated 3 billion USD in damage. It left 300,000 people homeless.

France and the UN on Sunday co-hosted a virtual conference to call for aid for Lebanon after the devastating blast.