Lebanon has marked the sixth anniversary of the Beirut port explosion, with victims' families gathering to remember those killed while cautiously hoping the long-delayed investigation is finally nearing its conclusion.
The blast on 4 August 2020 killed more than 220 people, injured around 7,000 and devastated large parts of the Lebanese capital.
Investigators believe it was caused by around 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that had been stored at the port for years.
For many families, six years on, the pain remains unchanged.
"In normal countries, we'd be done by now and we'd be in another phase of our lives and we'd have the right to grieve," said Paul Naggear, whose three-year-old daughter Alexandra, known as Lexou, was killed in the explosion.
"When there's no justice, it means Lexou's life has no value."
The investigation has faced years of political and judicial obstruction, with repeated legal challenges preventing progress and delaying any formal charges.
That changed after President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam took office earlier this year, pledging to ensure accountability.
Judge Tarek Bitar has since resumed his investigation and submitted his findings to the public prosecutor. A senior judicial official told Reuters the report includes accusations against around 70 people over offences linked to the disaster. The names have not been made public while legal proceedings continue.
Information Minister Paul Morcos said an indictment is expected within the next few months, adding that the investigation has entered its "final stages".
"Judicial investigations are no longer facing obstruction under the mandate of the current government," he said.
Dozens of relatives gathered near the port for a memorial service and sit-in, renewing calls for those responsible to be held accountable.
Several said they hoped that by next year's anniversary, those responsible would already be behind bars.
Others remained unconvinced.
"The numbers of the families of the victims are decreasing, and that's proof that there is no trust," said Reine Abbas. "For me, if I don't see at least one person in jail, there is no trust."
Justice Minister Adel Nassar said the investigation must be allowed to run its full course.
"The state and the judiciary allow this file to go to the very end. This is a must for the relatives of the victims, for the victims themselves, for all those impacted and for the Lebanese people," he said.
"We cannot say there is a judiciary in Lebanon if we are silent about a disaster as big as the Beirut port blast."
Social Affairs Minister Hanin al-Sayyed, who lost her mother in the explosion, said the government remained committed to uncovering the truth.
"We are exerting pressure as families of the victims and as all Lebanese to reach the truth," she said. "The explosion file is among the government's priorities."
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