Beirut(ANN)-A massive explosion just devastated Beirut deaths and Injuries Thousands of people as confirmed by the Lebanese health minister
Here’s what the unbelievable destruction looks like for people on the ground.
- A devastating explosion rocked Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, on Tuesday.
- The exact cause of the blast is unknown, but a senior Lebanese intelligence official said that he suspects that confiscated high-explosive materials stored at the port where the explosion occurred are to blame.
- The country’s health ministry says that at least 67 people are dead and more than 3,500 people are injured, BBC reports.
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A huge explosion in the Lebanese capital of Beirut Tuesday caused widespread devastation. The number of casualties and the full extent of the damage are still emerging.
Early state media reporting said the blast followed the outbreak of a fire at a fireworks storage facility at the local port, but the director of Lebanese intelligence pointed to highly-explosive materials that had been confiscated and stored in the area.
The exact cause of the terrible blast, which was captured on video, remains unclear.
—Nader Itayim | نادر ایتیّم (@ncitayim) August 4, 2020
The following photos, some of which are GRAPHIC, show the situation on the ground in Beirut.
An orange-red cloud lingered over the blast site shortly after the explosion.
The blast caused widespread destruction well beyond the port where the explosion occurred.
The blast, which was felt miles away, severely damaged buildings, blowing out windows and doors and collapsing ceilings.
” alt=”A picture shows the scene of an explosion at the port in the Lebanese capital Beirut on August 4, 2020″ data-content-type=”image/jpeg” data-srcs=”{"https://i.insider.com/5f29ab6a0ef1884df73b9ea4":{"contentType":"image/jpeg","aspectRatioW":1024,"aspectRatioH":683}}” />A reporter for The Independent who was in the area said the shock wave from the blast “literally pushed us [to] fall to our knees.”
—Bel Trew (@Beltrew) August 4, 2020
Emergency workers rushed onto the scene to attend to the wounded, as well as to battle fires in the wake of the explosion.
” alt=”Firefighter douse a blaze at the scene of an explosion at the port of Lebanon’s capital Beirut on August 4, 2020.” data-content-type=”image/jpeg” data-srcs=”{"https://i.insider.com/5f29a8adde1e9658f86fc875":{"contentType":"image/jpeg","aspectRatioW":1024,"aspectRatioH":683}}” />Fires could be seen burning at the port into the evening.
” alt=”A helicopter puts out a fire at the scene of an explosion at the port of Lebanon’s capital Beirut on August 4, 2020.” data-content-type=”image/jpeg” data-srcs=”{"https://i.insider.com/5f29a9f54dca685a42483fe6":{"contentType":"image/jpeg","aspectRatioW":1024,"aspectRatioH":683}}” />Lebanon’s health minister announced that at least 67 people were killed in the explosion. The death toll is feared to be higher.
” alt=”People carry a wounded man after a fire at a warehouse with explosives at the Port of Beirut led to massive blasts in Beirut” data-content-type=”image/jpeg” data-srcs=”{"https://i.insider.com/5f29ac474e52b7504208ad35":{"contentType":"image/jpeg","aspectRatioW":512,"aspectRatioH":337}}” />He added that more than 3,500 people have been injured.
The country’s prime minister has declared Wednesday a national day of mourning in response to Tuesday’s tragedy.
Source: BBC