The French navy helicopter carrier Tonnerre left Toulon (Var) on Sunday for Lebanon with significant material and human resources to help with clearing operations after the gigantic explosion that devastated much of the Lebanese capital.
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The ship, which carries some 700 soldiers and several tons of freight, set sail from the port of Toulon shortly before 7:30 p.m., an AFP photographer noted. It is due to arrive off Lebanon on Thursday, according to the National Navy.
“ There was a demand from the Lebanese for land and submarine engineering resources. There are therefore on board teams specializing in clearing with the appropriate equipment , ”explained Commander Christine Ribbe, spokesperson for the maritime prefecture in Toulon.
The Tonnerre transported in particular " an engineering group of the army of about 350 men " as well as " a detachment of demining divers from the French Navy with skills in underwater work and investigation of port areas " then that the port of Beirut where the explosion took place on Tuesday is nothing more than a field of ruins and that many neighborhoods have been destroyed.
France is also sending aboard the Tonnerre " capabilities for recognizing maritime access and hydrographic support for the Marine Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service (SHOM), " the Ministry of the Armed Forces said in a press release. Amphibious landing facilities are also on board as well as two military helicopters.
The marine firefighters of Marseille and the firefighters of Bouches-du-Rhône send several specialized vehicles on board the Tonnerre to help their Lebanese colleagues.
Food aid as well as construction materials (plaster etc.) provided by different French ministries and by private companies will also be transported by the helicopter carrier, said Ms. Ribbe.
France, which organized an international donor video conference on Sunday, set up an " air and sea bridge " to deliver more than 18 tonnes of medical aid and nearly 700 tonnes of food aid to Beirut. Several flights loaded with aid cargo have already left for Lebanon since Wednesday.
