Six years after the Beirut port explosion killed at least 218 people, wounded thousands and devastated the Lebanese capital, the investigation has reached a decisive procedural stage. Judge Tarek Bitar completed his inquiry in March 2026 and sent the sealed case file to the Court of Cassation’s public prosecutor for review.
The move does not mean trials have begun or that anyone has been convicted. It places the next step with prosecutor Jamal Hajjar, whose review must precede formal indictment decisions. Families of the victims say they cannot accept further administrative delay after years of legal challenges and political obstruction.
At a glance:
- The explosion occurred at 6:07pm on August 4, 2020.
- Investigators linked the disaster to the ignition of 2,750 tonnes of improperly stored ammonium nitrate.
- Judge Tarek Bitar completed the investigation in March 2026.
- The file is now before the Court of Cassation’s public prosecutor for review.
A disaster that still defines Beirut
The blast tore through Beirut after a fire reached ammonium nitrate stored at Hangar 12. Firefighter Joe Noun and nurse Sahar Fares were among the emergency workers sent to the port minutes earlier. Their families still preserve the red helmets they wore, reminders of a mission that became a final act of service.
The explosion also killed three-year-old Alexandra Naggear, whose father carried her through the shattered Mar Mikhael neighborhood. Her death became a symbol of the catastrophe’s effect on children and remains part of the families’ demand to establish who allowed dangerous material to remain at the port.
Why the investigation was stalled
The ammonium nitrate arrived in Lebanon on a Moldovan-flagged ship in 2013, and preliminary inquiries found that senior officials had been warned about the danger. Yet the judicial process repeatedly collided with the political system, where officials invoked parliamentary or institutional protections to resist questioning.
Judge Fadi Sawan was removed after summoning political figures. His successor, Tarek Bitar, faced lawsuits, recusals and refusals by senior officials to appear. In January 2023, former prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat ordered the investigation halted after Bitar brought charges against him; that intervention helped freeze the case for an extended period.
What happens next
After Lebanon’s 2025 government change, acting public prosecutor Jamal Hajjar reversed decisions that had blocked cooperation with Bitar and allowed the investigation to resume. Bitar later completed the inquiry and referred the full file to Hajjar for legal assessment and recommendations concerning suspects questioned during 2025.
The review has no strict legal deadline, so it could last months. Once it is completed, the case is expected to return for indictment decisions and could then move toward formal trials. Families continue to press for an immediate conclusion, saying the passage of six years has already imposed an unbearable cost.
Questions readers ask
Does the completed investigation mean trials have started?
No. Bitar’s investigation has been completed, but the file remains under review by prosecutor Jamal Hajjar. Formal indictments and any subsequent trials depend on the next judicial steps.
What caused the Beirut port explosion?
The blast followed the ignition of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that had been improperly stored at the port. Investigators have examined official warnings, decisions and failures surrounding the material’s handling.
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