A massive explosion just devastated Beirut. Here's what the unbelievable destruction looks like for people on the ground.
(Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images
A devastating explosion rocked Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, on Tuesday.
The cause of the blast is being investigated, 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 78 people are dead and more than 4,000 people are injured.
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, is under investigation.
—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.
Photo by ANWAR AMRO/AFP via Getty Images
The blast caused widespread destruction well beyond the port where the explosion occurred.
Photo by IBRAHIM AMRO/AFP via Getty Images
The blast, which was felt miles away, severely damaged buildings, blowing out windows and doors and collapsing ceilings.
Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images
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.
Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images
Fires could be seen burning at the port into the evening.
(Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images
A New York Times reporter shared what she described as "terrifying" footage of the streets of Beirut on social media.
—Farnaz Fassihi (@farnazfassihi) August 4, 2020
Lebanon's health minister said that at least 78 people were killed in the explosion.
Photo by Houssam Shbaro/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
He added that more than 4,000 people have been injured.
(Photo by Daniel Carde/Getty Images
Source: The New York Times
Local media reports have said that hospitals have been overwhelmed by the high number of casualties.
Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images
The country's prime minister has declared Wednesday a national day of mourning in response to Tuesday's tragedy.
Photo by STR / AFP) (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images
US President Donald Trump suggested the explosion may have been an "attack," angering Lebanese officials who say there is no evidence to support the claim.
AFP via Getty Images
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