A massive explosion rocked Beirut with the force of an earthquake, followed by a shock wave that blew out windows and caused widespread damage across the Lebanese capital. At least 60 people were killed and more than 3,000 wounded, according to Health Minister Hassan Hamad.
Injured residents flooded hospitals, pushing them past capacity. Medical officials pleaded for blood donations.
The blast followed a fire that broke out in the city’s port area, based on multiple videos from the scene.
Though the cause of the explosion is yet to be officially determined, Abbas Ibrahim, chief of Lebanese General Security, said it might have been caused by highly explosive material that was stored at the port after it was confiscated from a ship.
In a tweet on the Lebanese presidential account, the material was identified as ammonium nitrate, citing Prime Minister Hassan Diab as saying, “It is unacceptable that a shipment of ammonium nitrate estimated at 2,750 tons has been present for six years in a warehouse without taking preventive measures that endanger the safety of citizens.”
Ammonium nitrate, used in chemical fertilizer production, was a component of the bombing of the Oklahoma City federal building in 1995. from USAtoday
