According to the Voice of Lebanon radio station, the passenger tourist ship, dubbed "Orient Queen" and operated by the local Abou Merhi Lines company, had fully drowned in the port of Beirut following the explosion. Two members of the ship's crew were killed, the radio said, adding that seven others were injured.
Orient Queen touristic ship sunk yesterday, killing 2 of its crew.#Lebanon #Beirut #BeirutExplosion #LebanonExplosion pic.twitter.com/j1ZJ3OleZi
— Hayake (@Exirt) August 5, 2020
"The ship was moored in the Beirut port before it was severely damaged by the explosion. All efforts and attempts to save it were unsuccessful," the ship’s owner Abou Merhi said, as quoted by the radio, adding that it was "a Lebanese tourist landmark".
The explosion occurred in the city late on Tuesday. According to the Lebanese authorities, it was caused by improper storage of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate. Earlier in the day, Beirut Governor Marwan Abboud has estimated the amount of damage from the explosion at around $3-5 billion.
