The loved ones of those killed in a catastrophic explosion at Beirut's port five years ago gathered to demand justice on the anniversary of the blast Monday, as Lebanon's president vowed to hold those responsible to account.

The August 4, 2020 disaster was one of the world's largest non-nuclear explosions, and devastated swathes of the Lebanese capital, killing more than 220 people and injuring over 6,500.

Authorities have said the blast was triggered by a fire in a warehouse where tonnes of ammonium nitrate fertiliser had been stored haphazardly for years after arriving by ship, despite repeated warnings to senior officials.

Hundreds gathered in Beirut on Monday afternoon to mark the anniversary, some brandishing signs reading "No compromises on justice" and "The crime of August 4 was not an accident".

Georgette Khoury, 68, was there to honour the memory of three of her loved ones who perished in the blast.

"Five years have passed, but it still feels like the explosion just happened. It's a gaping wound in the heart of every Lebanese person,"........

© Al Monitor