The Dutch Foreign Ministry said that the wife of the Dutch ambassador to Lebanon died on Saturday, due to serious injuries during the massive explosion that occurred in the Beirut port.
The ministry stated that the ambassador's wife was injured in the blast while standing next to her husband in the living room of their home in Beirut.
The explosion, which occurred last Tuesday, caused severe damage to the Dutch embassy and injured four other persons associated with the embassy.
[caption id="attachment_141953" align="aligncenter" width="460"]
Security officers stand guard at the entrance of the Embassy of the Netherlands in Lebanon's capital Beirut, on August 5, 2020[/caption]
The government praised her for her commitment to working abroad on behalf of the Netherlands even in “demanding difficult or dangerous circumstances.” She leaves behind her husband of 38 years, Ambassador Jan Waltmans, and their two children.
On its part, the Lebanese Ministry of Health said, on Saturday, that 60 people are still missing after the Beirut Port explosion, which occurred last Tuesday.
The Lebanese judicial authorities are investigating the explosion, which the authorities said was caused by the storage of a huge amount of ammonium nitrate in the Beirut port for six years.
The Beirut blast caused the displacement of about 300,000 residents of the capital, whose homes were cracked or severely damaged, including 100,000 children, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
“We are deeply saddened by the untimely death of our colleague Hedwig Waltmans-Molier as a result of the huge explosion in Beirut. Our thoughts are with her husband, their children, and other family members,” said Foreign Affairs Minister Stef Blok and Foreign Development Minister Sigrid Kaag in a joint statement. “Our sympathy goes out to them and we wish them every strength to cope with this great loss.”
“She was beloved by her colleagues and she will very much be missed. Her death is a loss for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and for the country,” the ministers said.
Follow the latest news on Google News
