The authorities raise death toll in Lebanon to 190

The Lebanese authorities on Sunday raised the number of deaths to 190 and injuries to over 6,500 from the explosion of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate in the port of Beirut which devastated part of the capital on 4 August.

The disaster management unit of the Council of Ministers of the interim government also indicated in a report published on Facebook that three people are still missing, although on Saturday the army had announced that there were seven, including three Syrians and one Egyptian.

According to the report, 300,000 people are homeless as a result of the deflagration of the fertilizer that had been stored unguarded for six years and more than 50,000 houses were damaged, while nine hospitals were affected and only one of them is now operating again at 100%.

He also estimated the losses from the explosion at $15 billion, a figure revealed by Lebanon's President Michel Aoun a few days after the event.

Aoun is scheduled to speak to the nation this Sunday at 20:30 local time (17:30 GMT) two days before Lebanon celebrates the centenary of the country's creation. The president acknowledged days after the explosion that he had been informed of "a large amount" of ammonium nitrate in the Mediterranean country's main port.

He also set the start of parliamentary consultations on Monday to appoint a new prime minister and government, after Hassan Diab's cabinet resigned six days after the disaster.

Several Western countries, beginning with France, the former colonial power, have offered their support to the country following the port tragedy and various high-ranking officials have visited it, including the French president, Emmanuel Macron, who will return to Beirut on Monday night, though his official programme will begin on 1 September.