A massive explosion in Beirut on Tuesday evening has reportedly claimed the lives of 73 people, and injured thousands more – putting hospitals in the area at full capacity. Hear all the details below:
Footage from the explosion – which took place in the Lebanese capitals’ port area – shows a massive plume of white smoke, followed by a huge explosion and even larger shockwave that travelled across the city, flattening buildings in its path.
Data collected by the United States Geological Survey shows that the explosion created seismic waves equivalent to a magnitude 3.3 earthquake.
Prime Minister Hassan Diab said the explosion was caused by 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate left unsecured inside a building. He added that “those responsible will pay for what happened.”
Following the devastating explosion, Lebanon’s Health Minister Hamad Hassan reportedly ordered all hospitals in the area to receive those injured, however according to other reports, many have already reached capacity.
Aid agency Save the Children said in a statement via CNN that hospitals in Beirut are “completely overwhelmed” and “unable to treat further casualties as hundreds of beds immediately filled up following the blast.”
Save the Children also warned that “the death toll may not be known for several days but what we do know is that in a disaster like this, children may be hurt, shocked, and separated from their parents.”
A CNN producer has described a “chaotic scene” from inside an emergency room of one of Beirut’s hospitals. “Some people had broken limbs, some showered with glass,” Ghazi Balkiz said, via CNN. “I walked in, I saw a few people lying on the floor — doctors trying to put IVs in them. A couple of people were passed out.”
The US Embassy in Beirut has urged those in the area to “stay indoors and wear masks” due to reports of toxic gasses released from the blast.
This explosion is absolutely devastating for citizens of Beirut, the city’s hospitals and healthcare workers. Story developing…
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