Beirut explosion: First Saudi Arabian plane carrying aid arrives in Lebanon

The first Saudi Arabian plane carrying more than 120 tons of medical supplies, shelter kits, and food items for the victims of the Beirut port explosion has arrived in the Lebanese capital, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported early on Saturday.

The move comes as part of the Kingdom’s air bridge initiative to provide humanitarian aid to Lebanon after a deadly explosion killed more than 150 people and injured 5,000 others on August 4.

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The supplies were sent through Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) and were received by Lebanese Interior Minister Mohammed Fahmi, the Kingdom’s ambassador to Lebanon Walid Bin Abdullah Bukhari, as well as a specialized team from the KSrelief at Beirut International Airport, SPA said.

The KSrelief team will follow up and supervise the distribution of the aid to ensure that it is delivered to those in need, according to SPA.

Two aid planes had departed the Kingdom earlier on Friday carrying medicines, devices, solutions, medical and emergency supplies, tents, shelter kits, and food items.

Several other aid planes are also expected to arrive in Lebanon from Saudi Arabia in the next few days, Al Arabiya reported on Saturday.

The cause of the explosion in Beirut is still under investigation but initial reports indicated that 2,750 tons of the industrial chemical ammonium nitrate were stored in the warehouse that blew up.

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