Exclusive: 'People have a right to be furious,' says Lebanon prime minister Hassan Diab
Video report by ITV News Correspondent Emma Murphy
The prime minister of Lebanon has told ITV News he's not "afraid" of people's anger in the country - but won't say when he'll join protesters on the streets.
PM Hassan Diab said Lebanese residents had a "right" to be furious after "decades of unbelievable corruption". In his first interview since the deadly blast on Tuesday, the prime minister pledged to face the anger and answer questions as fury grows over the massive explosion at the Beirut's port. Speaking to ITV News Correspondent Emma Murphy, Mr Diab said: "Absolutely they have a right to be furious.
"Not just because of this, this is absolutely diabolical what happened, but they were furious even before that for three decades of unbelievable corruption."
But when asked when if he'll be going on to the streets to speak to people, his reply was that he was "not sure".
ITV News Correspondent Emma Murphy describes her encounter with the PM
Lebanon’s politicians are running scared and they have good reason too with a population managing grief and fury.There was anger here before Tuesday’s explosion, now there is a feeling the Government blew up their own capital, the endemic corruption and mismanagement the reason why nearly three thousand tonnes of lethal chemicals could be stored on the edge of the city for six years.While President Macron visited to cheers and hugs, the former Lebanese prime minister’s motorcade was stoned while Lebanese justice minister was pelted with water bottles.Hardly surprising then that the current Prime Minister is steering clear of the public. Hassan Diab has made one speech since Tuesday’s tragedy and refused to be interviewed. There has been no sign of him on the streets yet today he did turn up in the sealed bubble that is the wreck of the port. He probably wasn’t expecting a tv crew in the ruins.He says he’s not afraid of the public response, he says he will go on streets but isn’t sure when and he says there is a right to anger yet he tries to shift the buck onto previous politicians.That won’t wash anymore. He is part of the establishment and part of a political elite many blame for collapse of this nation. Now he and his colleagues are blamed for the collapse of this city and the death of so many of its people.
Emma Murphy explains how people in Beirut want to see 'real change' in the aftermath of the explosion
The PM's comments come as Lebanon’s president admitted he knew about the stockpile of explosive chemicals that were being kept in Beirut’s port.
Michel Aoun, in office since 2016, said he was told of the stockpile nearly three weeks ago and immediately ordered military and security agencies to do “what was needed”.
Newly surfaced documents also reveal officials had been warned at least 10 times about stockpile of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate in the seven years the explosives had been kept there.
The huge explosion - which could be felt more than 150 miles away in Cyprus - was caused after 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate being kept in the port blew up.
At least 154 people have been killed and thousands more injured, with the blast making another 300,000 people homeless. Many more are still missing.