Beirut Massive Port Explosion Kills Over 78 Persons, 4000 Wounded [video]

By The Nigeria Voicee

An extremely horrifying video has captured the moment a massive explosion ripped through Lebanon’s capital, Beirut on Tuesday, resulting in the death of over 78 persons and leaving Over 4000 Wounded.

The explosion, which erupted at the port in Beirut according to local media, started with a fire. Nearby houses and cars were hit by the resulting shockwave from the explosion.

Lebanon’s prime minister, Hassan Diab, said the main blast at Beirut’s port was caused when an estimated 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate had been ignited. He said the chemical had been left unsecured for six years in a warehouse, and vowed to punish those responsible.

As the death toll climbed on the discovery of more bodies in the wreckage, at least 4,000 were reported injured. Hundreds of homes were left uninhabitable by the blast which also destroyed huge grain silos, a devastating blow to a country where bread was already scarce and which is dependent on imports by sea.

The US Embassy in Beirut released a statement advising that people wear masks and stay indoors, following “reports of toxic gases released in the explosion”.

The American University of Aerosol Research Lab’s indicators showed that air quality levels had returned to “Good” by 7pm on Tuesday, however, after showing “Moderate” levels of particulate matter an hour earlier.

Thousands of people sought treatment in nearby hospitals, which were struggling to cope with the casualties. Cars were left strewn across the surrounding highway, and the blast was heard up to 80km (50 miles) away in the country’s north. The health minister, Hamad Hassan, put the confirmed death toll at 78, with at least 4,000 injured.

Alyssa Farah, the White House Director of Strategic Communications, tweeted that President Donald Trump had been briefed about the explosion.

“Praying for the safety of the people of Lebanon. The President has been briefed. We continue to monitor the situation closely,” she posted on Twitter.

Watch the extremely horrifying video of the moment the explosion ripped the city below;

Video Credit: Al Jazeera English