Two explosions have rocked the Lebanese capital, Beirut, on Tuesday 4 August 2020.
The two explosions have left the port area of the city a shadow of its self.
Videos of the effects of the blast have been shared on social media showing a huge fire and billowing smoke in the city’s east side port area.
sending all my prayers to the people who are affected 🙏😭 god this is so heartbreaking.#Beirutpic.twitter.com/hZwitt0Kh3
— restricted. (@souImono) August 4, 2020
#BREAKING – Video shows a demolished city block in #Beirut, #Lebanon, following a MASSIVE explosion. pic.twitter.com/L7IHAnWywn
— SV News 🚨 (@SVNewsAlerts) August 4, 2020
The blast rattled buildings and broke glasses, it was felt in several parts of the city.
Shops businesses and cars around were also damaged and windows were shattered.
The streets of #Beirut right now, following the gigantic explosion. pic.twitter.com/T0PeJOzyiV
— Sarah Abdallah (@sahouraxo) August 4, 2020
A Powerful explosion has occured in Beirut. It’s not yet clear what caused the blast. #Beirut pic.twitter.com/h7ayT5DKdK
— Sputnik Insight (@Sputnik_Insight) August 4, 2020
A security source told local channel LBC that the root cause of the explosion was a fire in a warehouse that contained fireworks.
However, this has not been confirmed yet. Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr reports live from the scene described the blast as massive:
“The force of the blast was massive. I was walking on the street and I was thrown to the ground. There’s panic and chaos; glass everywhere.”
Washington correspondent, Joyce Karam said the two explosions took place within 15 minutes,. The first was at Port and the other in Beirut.
A woman close to the scene told reporters that it “felt like an earthquake”, and added that the two explosions today “felt bigger than the explosion in the assassination of Rafic Hariri in 2005”.
