Business Insider India has updated its Privacy and Cookie policy. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the better experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we\'ll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Business Insider India website. However, you can change your cookie setting at any time by clicking on our Cookie Policy at any time. You can also see our Privacy Policy.
A massive explosion just devastated Beirut. Here's what the unbelievable destruction looks like for people on the ground.
A massive explosion just devastated Beirut. Here's what the unbelievable destruction looks like for people on the ground.
Ryan PickrellAug 5, 2020, 01:22 IST
A helicopter puts out a fire at the scene of an explosion at the port of Lebanon's capital Beirut on August 4, 2020.(Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images
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 minister said that at least 30 people are dead and more than 3,000 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 is still emerging.
Early state media reporting said the the blast followed the outbreak of a fire at a fireworks storage facility at the local port, but the director of Lebanese intelligence said that it may have been caused by high-explosive materials that had been previously confiscated and stored in the area. The exact cause of the blast remains unknown.
The following photos, some of which are GRAPHIC, show the situation on the ground in Beirut.
Advertisement
An orange-red cloud lingered over the blast site shortly after the explosion.
A picture shows the scene of an explosion in Beirut on August 4, 2020.
Photo by ANWAR AMRO/AFP via Getty Images
The blast caused widespread destruction well beyond the port where the explosion occurred.
A man reacts at the scene of an explosion at the port in Lebanon's capital Beirut.
Photo by IBRAHIM AMRO/AFP via Getty Images
Advertisement
The blast, which was felt miles away, severely damaged buildings, blowing out windows and doors and collapsing ceilings.
A picture shows the scene of an explosion at the port in the Lebanese capital Beirut on August 4, 2020
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."
Advertisement
Emergency workers rushed onto the scene to attend to the wounded, as well as to battle fires in the wake of the explosion.
Firefighter douse a blaze at the scene of an explosion at the port of Lebanon's capital Beirut on August 4, 2020.
Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images
Fires could be seen burning at the port into the evening.
A helicopter puts out a fire at the scene of an explosion at the port of Lebanon's capital Beirut on August 4, 2020.
(Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images
Advertisement
Emergency firefighting assets, including helicopters, were called up in response.
A helicopter puts out a fire at the scene of an explosion at the port of Lebanon's capital Beirut on August 4, 2020
Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images
Lebanon's health minister announced that at least 30 people were killed in the explosion. The death toll is believed to be significantly higher.
People carry a wounded man after an explosion at the Port of Beirut.
Photo by Houssam Shbaro/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Advertisement
He added that more than 3,000 people have been injured.
An injured man is treated after a large explosion on August 4, 2020 in Beirut, Lebanon
(Photo by Daniel Carde/Getty Images
Local media reports have said that hospitals have been overwhelmed by the high number of casualties.
A picture shows the scene of an explosion at the port in the Lebanese capital Beirut on August 4, 2020.
Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images
Advertisement
The country's prime minister has declared a national day of mourning in response to Tuesday's tragedy.
A helicopter puts out a fire at the scene of an explosion at the port of Lebanon's capital Beirut on August 4, 2020..
Photo by STR / AFP) (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images