Two devastating explosions occurred in the port area of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. Thousands of casualties, between dead and injured.
Last updated 5 August, 14:10
In Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, two devastating explosions struck the port area shortly after 5 pm (Italian time) on 4 August. A mushroom-shaped column of smoke — the kind seen in nuclear explosions — rose above the Middle Eastern city. People poured into the streets, trying to make their way through the rubble of surrounding buildings. The cause of the explosions is not yet known.
Images arriving from Lebanon show scenes of devastation. The port area has been severely damaged and numerous buildings have been completely destroyed. But the explosions affected the entire city, which is densely populated. To grasp the power of the blast, it is enough to note that window panes shattered several kilometres away. International media are reporting doors blown off their hinges and cars overturned by the force of the shockwave.
The Red Cross provided an update at around 11 pm on Tuesday, reporting at least 100 dead and 4,000 injured (among the latter, reportedly, an Italian soldier). These figures, however, are likely to be revised during the course of the night. Meanwhile, numerous videos documenting what happened in Beirut are being shared on social media. One of the most extraordinary was posted by journalist and international correspondent for the Independent, Borzou Daragahi.
Laure Stephan, correspondent for the French daily Le Monde in the Lebanese capital, explained at 8 pm that "for two hours ambulance sirens have been sounding non-stop across the city. Around the port, devastation reigns.
Fires are still burning and the smoke rising from the flames is reminiscent of burning chemical products. Night has fallen and the city is on its knees. The explosions have struck a capital already reeling from the worst economic crisis in Lebanon's history, and from the effects of a prolonged political crisis and the Covid-19 epidemic." Although the origin of the second explosion — the more powerful of the two — has yet to be established, the broadcaster Al-Mayadeen has suggested that thousands of tonnes of ammonium nitrate, a highly explosive and toxic compound, may have detonated.
The port area has in the meantime been cordoned off by security forces. Only rescue workers, military personnel and firefighters are permitted access. A helicopter is working to try to extinguish the blaze.
Lina Sinjab, the BBC's Middle East correspondent, described an explosion that felt like a powerful earthquake. Lebanese media report that hospitals, whose buildings have sustained severe damage, are overwhelmed with casualties. A journalist with the AFP agency and a correspondent for the television channel Al Jazeera report that some medical facilities are no longer able to receive victims. The situation is further complicated by darkness, with power lines having been severely damaged, according to Al Manar television.
Lebanese president Michel Aoun has convened an emergency meeting of the Supreme Defence Council and has declared Wednesday 5 August a national day of mourning.