HUMAN rights group Amnesty International and the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) joined forces yesterday to demand an international investigation into August’s devastating explosion in Beirut.

The blast in Lebanon’s capital three months ago killed 190 people, including 10 firefighters, and injured 6,500.

Now Amnesty and the FBU have produced a video in which British firefighter Holly Ferguson describes the explosion as “the stuff of nightmares.”

She says the Lebanese firefighters had been “badly let down” by officials who knew that dangerous chemicals were stored at the port but failed to pass on the information.

Amnesty and the FBU warn that the Lebanese authorities “have no intention of conducting an effective, transparent and impartial investigation into the explosion, denying victims their right to truth, justice and remedy; including the families of the firefighters who died doing their jobs.” 

FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said: “The devastating scenes in Beirut will live long in the memory and the thoughts of firefighters in Britain.

“The families of the firefighters and all those who died in Beirut deserve answers.” 

Firefighters were “led to their deaths and unforgivably let down,” Mr Wrack added.