6 minutes agoAt least 100 dead from the Lebanon explosion of over 4,000 injured
Periskopi(6 years ago)
(6 years ago)Citizens of Beirut have woken up with scenes of absolute destruction Wednesday, a day after the massive explosion at the port that sent shock waves through Lebanon's headquarters, causing the death of at least 100 people injured thousands, the AP writes. Smoke was still rising from the harbor. The main road downtown is filled with [...]
Citizens of Beirut have woken up with scenes of absolute destruction Wednesday, a day after the massive explosion at the port that sent shock waves through Lebanon's headquarters, causing the death of at least 100 people injured thousands, the AP writes.
Smoke was still rising from the harbor. The main road downtown is filled with rubble and broken cars, as are the facades of buildings that have collapsed. In urban hospitals, people have waited all night for news about his loved ones who are still missing or injured. Others have made online requests for help.
A Lebanese Red Cross official has said at least 100 people have died and over 4,000 have been injured. The official, George Ketaneh, has said the death toll could increase even more.
It is unclear what caused the explosion, which seems to have been initiated by a fire and struck by the force of an earthquake. It was the most powerful explosion ever in the city, which was the front line in civil war from 1975 to 1990 and has experienced conflicts with the neighboring nation of Israel and periodic bombings and terrorist attacks.
“L'Apocalyse”, written on the front of the newspaper “L'Orient le Jour”, French language newspaper in Lebanon. Another newspaper, al-Akhbar, posted the photo of the destroyed port with the words: “The Great Copap”.
Lebanon was also on the verge of collapse following the severe economic crisis that has sparked massive protests in recent months. Hospitals were facing increased cases of coronarys, and there are concerns that the virus will spread even more as people flood hospitals after yesterday's outbreak.
Lebanon's Interior Minister Mohammed Fahmi has said of local television that the explosion appears to have been destroyed by decomposition of more than 2700 tons of ammo nitrate that had been stored in a warehouse in the port since it was confiscated by a ship in 2014.
Witnesses have reported seeing orange clouds that could be caused by nitrogen dioxide that was released after the explosion of the nitrate involved.
It was like in a scary movie. I've never seen such a thing since the civil war”, Marwan Ramadan said, which was about 500 meters from the port and had collapsed from the explosion.
