Beirut: A UK-registered chemical company has been found liable for the Beirut port blast that killed 200 people in 2020.
The judgment, at the High Court in London, was a first step towards justice after Lebanese and international investigations had failed to hold anyone accountable for the explosion, one of the lawyers who brought the case said.
“This is the first recognition there is a party responsible for what happened,” Camille Abousleiman said.
Dust rises in the port of Beirut, Lebanon, after a section of the massive grain silos, shredded in the explosion, collapsed.Credit:AP
The blast was caused by the ignition of tonnes of ammonium nitrate improperly stored in a warehouse.
While much remains unclear about why the fertiliser was left at the port for so long, lawyers representing the Beirut Bar Association and three victims’ families argued that London-based company Savaro remained the legal owner of the ammonium nitrate, and was responsible for its proper storage and any damage caused by it. Abandoning the dangerous chemicals did not absolve them of any duty of care, it was argued.
Lawyers for Savaro initially mounted a vigorous defence against the case but later failed to comply with a June 2022 court order to disclose the company’s beneficial owners. The court then issued a default judgment in favour of the claimants and struck out Savaro’s defence.
The court ordered the defendants to pay legal costs and ordered a further hearing to determine damages.
Savaro is not believed to have significant assets and sought to enter liquidation ahead of the court case, meaning a payout for the victims may be unlikely.
On Thursday, the Beirut Bar Association released the judgment, dated February 1, hailing it as a “great achievement” for victims of the blast.
Mariana Foudoulian, whose sister Gaia died in the explosion, said the UK ruling was an important step towards justice.
“This does give us some hope,” she added.
The Telegraph, London
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