The Orient Queen ship, which was berthed at Port Beirut (Lebanon), has sunk following two very large explosions in the cargo port on August 4. According to reports, 2 people onboard the cruise ship have died and 7 others are seriously injured. The Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs announced the two deceased (crew) were from The Philippines.
The cruise vessel is Bahamas-flagged (registered in Nassau) and operated by Abou Merhi Cruises. The Orient Queen had returned to homeport from a 22-day voyage. The 1989-built liner had max passenger capacity 330 plus 153 crew.
The explosions at the port damaged the ship, which led to the seepage of water.
The BNS Bijoy navy ship, a cargo ship, and a livestock carrier have also been damaged by the explosions. In total, the explosions have killed 135+ people and injured 5,000+ people, as of August 6. The number of casualties is expected to increase.
According to Lebanese officials, the explosions were caused by 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate that had been stored in a warehouse for 6 years. Lebanese authorities placed the port officials who oversaw the storage and security of the port under house arrest. The investigation is pending.