Death toll rises to 163 at Beirut blast

The death toll from the blast in Beirut has risen to 163 after five more bodies were recovered from the rubble.

“Rescue teams of the Lebanese army in collaboration with the civil defense units, fire fighters, and Russian and French search teams managed to recover five more bodies of victims of the Beirut port explosion,” Lebanese army said in a statement.

The statement stated the search for the missing people is ongoing with authorities still trying to ascertain their exact number.

Two explosions rocked the Beirut port on Tuesday after a neglected stockpile of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse caught fire.

Lebanon was already embroiled in a crisis stemming from economic problems and corruption.

Anti-government protesters have taken to the streets for the past two nights, storming official buildings and clashing with police.