Collective losses could reach $15bn: Beirut governor
Beirut's governor Marwan Abboud told Al Hadath TV on Wednesday that collective losses after the blast may reach anywhere from $10bn to $15bn, including both direct and indirect losses related to business.
The governor also told the news organisation that amounts of available wheat are currently limited - 15,000 tonnes of wheat had been stored at the port's silos - and he thinks a crisis might take place without international interference.
The impact of the explosion on the economy could cause further falls in the lira, which has dropped from LL1,507 to the dollar to over LL8,000, which would make imports even more expensive.
The disaster is the third shock to hit the country since protests erupted in October 2019, and the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.