The Beirut Blast

How do you begin to investigate the explosion that tore through the Lebanese capital city of Beirut, killing more than 200 people?

In this episode Nick Wallis takes us back to August 2020, talking to Rana Sabbagh and Aubrey Belford about how OCCRP reporters activated the global network to unravel the opaque web of secrecy behind the cause of the explosion, scouring the globe from Russia to Mozambique to track down the true owner of the deadly cargo that triggered the devastating blast in Lebanon’s capital.

We also hear from Paul Najjar, who lived and worked less than a kilometer from the blast site at Beirut port. Paul and Tracy’s three-year-old daughter died as a result of injuries sustained in the explosion.

Dirty Deeds a Little Gem production for the OCCRP. The host is Nick Wallis. The producer is Lindsay Riley at Rethink Audio, with research from Phoebe Adler-Ryan and Riham Moussa.

Read the investigations:

• A Hidden Tycoon, African Explosives, and a Loan from a Notorious Bank: Questionable Connections Surround Beirut Explosion Shipment
• Ownership of Chemicals that Exploded at Beirut Port Traces Back to Ukraine

This week’s guests:

• Rana Sabbagh - @rana_sabbagh
• Aubrey Belford - @AubreyBelford
• Paul Naggear

Transcript

• Read the transcript on the OCCRP website here.

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[00:00] Introduction

[01:21] Paul Naggear recounts the day of the explosion

[10:53] Rana Sabbagh explains background and how the investigation began

[16:57] Aubrey Belford explains why he volunteered to join the investigation

[20:28] Rana describes the difficulties of reporting in the blast’s aftermath

[24:03] Background on Lebanese politics

[25:26] How reporters uncovered the opaque network of companies linked to the deadly cargo

[30:32] Rana and Aubrey describe the impact of the investigation in Lebanon and the UK

[32:38] Paul describes his campaign for justice

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