The Egyptian Red Crescent (ERC) held on Monday evening a candlelight vigil inside its headquarters in Cairo to mourn the victims of the massive warehouse explosion that took place earlier this month in Beirut.

Dozens of members of the humanitarian organisation attended the event, as well as Egyptian Social Solidarity Minister Niveen El-Kabbag and the vice president of the ERC.

The event's attendees waved Lebanese flags and the Red Crescent lit up its building with the message ‘For Lebanon’ to express solidarity with the people of Lebanon.

"Egypt always stands with its Arab brothers in times of afflictions and crises," El- Kabbag said.

The minister added that Egypt has sent over 160 tons of humanitarian aid to the Lebanese people through an airlift Egypt extended to the blast-hit country to help it overcome the crisis.

On 4 August, a massive blast at Beirut Port damaged buildings across the capital and sent a giant mushroom cloud into the sky, killing at least 171 people, injuring around 6,000, and leaving as many as 300,000 homeless.

Lebanese officials said the explosion was caused by ammonium nitrate, 2,750 tons of which had been stored in a warehouse at the port for six years after being confiscated from a ship.

Egypt has taken several steps to provide assistance to Lebanon, including launching the airlift to provide humanitarian aid and relief supplies, as well as a sealift to help in the reconstruction of the city.