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Beirut explosions: Blast detonated 2,750 tons of chemicals - latest news and video

The president of Lebanon has said that 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate were detonated in massive blasts in Beirut that have killed at least 100 people and injured more than 4,000.

Explosions shook Lebanon's capital on Tuesday and the death toll is expected to rise.

Lebanon's health minister said residents who are able to leave should, saying the hazardous materials in the air after the explosion can have long-term deadly effects.

Officials said the chemicals were stored in a warehouse for six years without safety measures.

Lebanon's Prime Minister, Hassan Diab, said that those responsible would "pay the price" and said the warehouse at the epicentre of the blast had been "dangerous".

"I promise you that this catastrophe will not pass without accountability," he said in a televised speech.

"Facts about this dangerous warehouse that has been there since 2014 will be announced and I will not preempt the investigations."

Follow the latest updates below.


06:02 AM

Death toll reaches 100 - with more expected

The death toll from the massive explosion that rocked Beirut has reached 100 and more victims are under the rubble, the head of the Lebanese Red Cross told local broadcasters on Wednesday.

George Kettaneh told LBCI TV by telephone that the Red Cross was coordinating with the health ministry for morgues to take victims because hospitals were overwhelmed.


05:23 AM

Cyprus offers medical help

Cyprus is ready to offer medical aid to neighbouring Lebanon after the massive blast.

"Cyprus is ready to accept injured persons for treatment and send medical teams if required," Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides told state broadcaster CyBC.

Tuesday's explosion was heard throughout Cyprus, which is about 150 miles away.

Mr Christodoulides said the Cypriot embassy in Beirut, which was closed at the time of the blast, was extensively damaged.


04:32 AM

Prime Minister appeals to Lebanon's allies

As the national defence council declared Beirut a disaster zone, Lebanon's Prime Minister, Hassan Diab appealed to Lebanon's allies to "stand by" the country and "help us treat these deep wounds".

President Michel Aoun declared three days of mourning, and announced he would release 100 billion lira (£50 million) of emergency funds.

Condolences poured in from across the world with Gulf nations, the United States and even Lebanon's arch foe Israel offering to send aid.

France also promised to send assistance.


04:18 AM

'His name is Jad, his eyes are green': The search for loved ones

A Lebanese soldier at the scene of the explosion - STR/AFP

A soldier at the port, where relatives of the missing scrambled for news of their loved ones, told AFP: "It's a catastrophe inside. There are corpses on the ground. Ambulances are still lifting the dead."

A woman in her 20s stood screaming at security forces, asking about the fate of her brother, a port employee.

"His name is Jad, his eyes are green," she pleaded, to no avail as officers refused her entry.

"It was like an atomic bomb," said Makrouhie Yerganian, a retired schoolteacher in her mid-70s who has lived near the port for decades.

"I've experienced everything, but nothing like this before", even during the country's 1975-1990 civil war, she said.

"All the buildings around here have collapsed."

Photos posted online showed damage to the inside of Beirut airport's terminal, nine kilometres from the explosion.


04:04 AM

Explosive material had been confiscated years earlier

The aftermath at the site of Tuesday's blast in Beirut's port area - REUTERS/Issam Abdallah

Prime Minister Hassan Diab said 2,750 tons of agricultural fertiliser ammonium nitrate that had been stored for years in the portside warehouse had blown up, sparking "a disaster in every sense of the word".

General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim said the material was confiscated years earlier and stored in the warehouse, just minutes from Beirut's shopping and nightlife districts.

"What happened today will not pass without accountability," Mr Diab said. "Those responsible for this catastrophe will pay the price."


03:11 AM

What we know so far

  1. Two huge explosions in Beirut's port sent an enormous blast across the city.
  2. At least 78 people are dead and more than 4,000 are injured.
  3. The blast has been blamed on 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate that was stored at a warehouse.
  4. Lebanon's prime minister has vowed: Those responsible will pay the price."
  5. Hospitals already hit by coronavirus are struggling to treat victims.
  6. The blast was heard in Cyprus, 150 miles away.

02:20 AM

What is ammonium nitrate?

The explosion in Beirut has been blamed on thousands of tons of the chemical. But what is it?

Ammonium nitrate is an industrial chemical used for fertiliser. It is also used for mining explosives.

It is not explosive on its own, but as an oxidiser it can suck oxygen into a fire. 

However, Gabriel da Silva, a senior lecturer in chemical engineering at the University of Melbourne, said it ignites only under the right circumstances.

“You need extreme circumstances to set off an explosion,” he told The Guardian.

Ammonium nitrate can actually smother a fire, but if the chemical itself is tainted or contaminated, for example with oil, it becomes explosive. “I think that’s what’s happened here,” said da Silva.

The chemical in the air should disappear quickly but pollutants can have long-term effects, he said.

Read more: What is ammonium nitrate?

A wounded man is evacuated by boat - AFP

01:00 AM

'Drenched in darkness'


12:55 AM

BBC reporter caught in blast during interview

A BBC reporter was carrying out an interview when the blast struck in Beirut. As she spoke on the Zoom call, the explosion erupted and shards of glass were seen on the floor.

After the explosion, she crawled out from under a desk and appeared to be unharmed.


12:08 AM

Air in city 'may be toxic'

It is unclear whether the air in the city has become dangerous to breathe following the blast.

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”.

Many people’s windows have been shattered by the blast, making it difficult to avoid breathing the air outside.

The windows of Lebanon's Government Palace were blasted out - AP

11:33 PM

Australian among the dead

An Australian was killed and the country's embassy damaged in the Beirut blasts.

"It's my deep regret to inform you that one Australian has been killed in this horrific blast," Prime Minister Scott Morrison told The Today Show.

Australia's embassy was "considerably damaged by the effects of the blast" and some staff had been injured, Marise Payne, the Foreign Minister, told ABC radio.

"I'm advised that about 95 per cent of the windows in the front of the chancery of the embassy have been blown out and that staff have been affected by a number of glass injuries," she said.

"Fortunately they are relatively minor and they have all been treated."


10:34 PM

Trump suggests blasts were 'a bomb of some kind'

President Trump has said the Beirut blast "looks like a terrible attack" and told reporters at the White House that he met with US generals who believe it was an attack.

Mr Trump then suggested it was a "bomb of some kind". 

The cause of the explosions is not yet certain, but Lebanese officials have not suggested that it was an attack.

The US president also said that Washington would provide assistance. "We have a very good relationship with the people of Lebanon and we will be there to help," he said. 

Trump insisted his generals had told him the blast was a "bomb" - BLOOMBERG

10:18 PM

Emergency budget passed by Lebanese officials

Lebanon's Supreme Defence Council has recommended declaring Beirut a disaster-stricken city following a massive explosion, declaring a two-week state of emergency in the capital and handing over security responsibility to military authorities.

President Michel Aoun has decided to release 100 billion Lebanese pounds (about £50 million) in emergency allocations from the 2020 budget.

It also recommended ahead of a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday that a committee be tasked with investigating the blast and present its findings within five days to mete out the maximum punishment for those responsible. 

A fund worth about £50 million has been set up for emergency assistance - GETTY IMAGES

09:33 PM

'Unacceptable levels of ammonium nitrate stored in warehouse'

Lebanon's president has said a state of emergency should be declared in Beirut for two weeks.

Michael Aoun, in remarks published on the Presidency Twitter account, said it was "unacceptable" that 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate was stored in a warehouse for six years without safety measures and vowed that those responsible would face the "harshest punishments".

Mr Aoun also called for an emergency cabinet meeting on Wednesday.


09:15 PM

Lebanese are 'people I hold dear', says Pompeo

Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State, has said: "I’d like to extend my deepest condolences to all those affected by the massive explosion at the port of Beirut today.  

"We are closely monitoring and stand ready to assist the people of Lebanon as they recover from this tragedy.

"Our team in Beirut has reported to me the extensive damage to a city and a people that I hold dear, an additional challenge in a time of already deep crisis.  

"We understand that the Government of Lebanon continues to investigate its cause and look forward to the outcome of those efforts."


08:56 PM

'Thousands of tons of nitrate may have exploded'

The Telegraph's Josie Ensor reports that Lebanese media are suggesting that thousands of tons of nitrate may have gone up in the blast.


08:52 PM

Watch: Priest hit by debris during service


08:44 PM

Calls for evacuation over chemical fears

The head of the Lebanese American University Hospital is calling for evacuation of Beirut due to the hazardous materials in the air from the explosion.

Lebanon’s Health Minister has said that those who can leave the city should, saying the remnants of the explosion can have long-term deadly effects.


08:43 PM

'It was like a nuclear explosion': How panic-stricken residents fled the fireball

A colossal fireball erupted, sending a huge shockwave tearing through entire districts of Beirut and momentarily obscuring the sun, Abbie Cheeseman and Campbell MacDiarmid write.

The force of the blast threw some of the amateur cameramen off their feet. Further out the blastwave tore balconies from apartment buildings miles away.

As dust covered the city, an enormous mushroom cloud rose overhead. 

"It was like a nuclear explosion," said Walid Abdo, a 43-year-old school teacher in the neighbourhood of Gemayzeh near Beirut.

Rumbling aftershocks continued for several minutes, as piercing screams rose as bystanders rushed to pull bloodied bodies from the rubble of damaged buildings. 

Read more: How Beirut blast sent panic-stricken residents fleeing

The explosion near Beirut's waterfront flattened much of the port area - GETTY IMAGES

08:36 PM

In pictures: Devastation in an ancient city

Fire crews struggled to contain the blaze after the explosions - GETTY IMAGES
A firefighter helps a wounded man at the scene - GETTY IMAGES
Residents described balconies being blown off and buildings collapsing - GETTY IMAGES
Beirut's harbour has been decimated - EPA
Emergency teams rushed to the scene of the blast - EPA

08:11 PM

British embassy staff injured

A small number of staff at the UK embassy in Beirut sustained non-life threatening injuries in the explosion and where necessary are receiving medical attention, a Foreign Office spokesperson told Sky News. No one from the embassy was killed.

Some buildings in Beirut still standing bear the scars of the explosions - EPA

07:59 PM

Lebanon's PM pleads for help from 'friendly countries'

Lebanon's Prime Minister Hassan Diab has urged "friendly countries" to send help after the catastrophe.

"I am sending an urgent appeal to all countries that are friends and brothers and love Lebanon, to stand by its side and help us treat these deep wounds," he said in a televised address.


07:52 PM

'France stands alongside Lebanon - always'

President Macron has tweeted his support to the people of Lebanon: "I express my fraternal solidarity with the Lebanese after the explosion which claimed so many victims and caused so much damage this evening in Beirut.

"France stands alongside Lebanon. Always.  French aid and resources are being delivered to the site."

Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, tweeted: " My thoughts are with the people of #Lebanon and with the families of the victims of the tragic #BeirutBlast. The EU stands ready to provide assistance and support. Stay strong."


07:50 PM

Death toll rises to 50

Lebanon's health ministry has confirmed that there are at least 50 dead, with more than 2,700 injured.

A man carried an injured girl through debris in the Achrafiyeh district of Lebanon - GETTY IMAGES

07:22 PM

'Those responsible will pay the price', says Lebanese PM

Lebanon's Prime Minister Hassan Diab said that those responsible for would "pay the price" and appeared to suggest that the warehouse at the epicentre of the blast was "dangerous". 

"I promise you that this catastrophe will not pass without accountability," he said in a televised speech.

"Facts about this dangerous warehouse that has been there since 2014 will be announced and I will not preempt the investigations."

Smoke rises as people walk near the site of an explosion in Beirut  - REUTERS

07:04 PM

Death toll begins to rise in the aftermath

The blast has left 27 people dead and 2,500 injured, according to "preliminary estimates" announced by Health Minister Hamad Hassan.

"It is a disaster in every sense of the word," he said in an interview with several television channels while visiting a hospital in the Lebanese capital.


06:45 PM

2,200 casualties reported

The Lebanese Red Cross director general says there are 2,200 casualties due to the explosion, with the number expected to rise 


06:35 PM

Video shows the devastation caused

 A video posted by a local journalist shows the scale of the damage the explosion has caused, with buildings reduced to rubble and fire alarms ringing out across the city 


06:26 PM

Wounded people are streaming into Beirut's hospitals

People have been taken into emergency wards after being rescued from rubble in their neighbourhoods - IBRAHIM AMRO/AFP via Getty Images
The damage caused has not yet been calculated - IBRAHIM AMRO/AFP via Getty Images
Men walk across the site of the blast - REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir

 


06:20 PM

'Strange smell' reported at cite of explosion

Local media is reporting a 'strange smell' at the location of the disaster, and that Lebanese officials are asking civilians to leave the area in case toxic chemicals were incinerated 


06:16 PM

Foreign Secretary sends 'thoughts and prayers'

Dominic Raab, Foreign Secretary, said his "thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the devastating explosion in Beirut today".

"The UK stands in solidarity with the people of Lebanon and  is ready to offer help and support including to those British nationals impacted," he said 


06:08 PM

Explosion comes as Lebanon faces devastation

The blast has come at a time when Lebanon's economy is facing collapse, hit both by a financial crisis and coronavirus restrictions. Many have lost jobs, while the worth of their savings has evaporated as the currency has plunged in value against the dollar. The result has thrown many into poverty.

It also comes amid rising tensions between Israel and the militant Hezbollah group along Lebanon's southern border.

The explosion was reminiscent of massive blasts during Lebanon's civil war and took place only three days before a UN-backed tribunal was set to give its verdict in the killing of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in a truck bombing more than 15 years ago. That explosion, with a ton of explosives, was felt miles away, just like Tuesday's explosion.

It was the latest chapter for a country that has suffered a 15-year civil war, repeated conflict with Israel, political assassinations and various other crises including the current unprecedented financial and economic crisis.


05:57 PM

Foreign Office says it is 'closely monitoring' the incident

Danielle Sheridan writes:

FCO Spokesperson said: “We are closely monitoring the situation in Beirut following reports of an explosion”

Tobias Ellwood, Chairman of the Defence Select Committee and Former Middle East minister said today’s explosions “takes Lebanon into a darker chapter than it’s already experiencing, given the state of the economy and the unstable political environment”.

“You can’t rule out a deliberate intention to further destabilise an already fragile country,” he told The Telegraph. 

“We know the complexities of Beirut. It simply isn’t coping given the tense neighbourhood it finds itself in. We need to provide greater international support for this country that for too long has been suffering from the fall out of the Syria conflict, on top of its own internal political division.”


05:41 PM

Red Cross treats hundreds of injured people

Hundreds of people who were injured in the Beirut port blast were taken to hospitals but many remain trapped in homes damaged by the explosion, the head of the Lebanese Red Cross said.

George Kettaneh told local media there was no exact figure of how many were injured as many were still trapped in homes and within the area of the blast. Others were being rescued by boat.

Lebanese broadcaster LBCI quoted Hotel Dieu Hospital in Beirut as saying that was treating more than 500 injuries and was not able to receive more. Tens of injured needed operations, the hospital said appealing for blood donations. 


05:26 PM

Fake news circulates over Israeli involvement

James Rothwell in Jerusalem writes:

Within minutes of the explosion, spurious rumours began to circulate online that Israel had played some role in the blast at the port of Beirut, which occurred at around 6pm local time. 

Some Arabic news channels falsely reported that Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, had claimed responsibility for the attack.

In fact, Mr Netanyahyu had issued a statement about an unrelated Israeli airstrike in Syria, which was in retaliation for an attempted terror attack at Israel's northeastern border with Syria earlier this week. This was then misattributed to the incident in Beirut, according to Elizabeth Tsurkov, a leading Syria analyst. 

Israeli officials have stressed that they had "nothing to do with the explosion."

Tensions between Israel and Hizbollah, a Lebanese militant group backed by Iran, have soared in recent weeks at the border between Israel and Lebanon, as well as at the Israel-Syria border. 

Hizbollah has vowed revenge for an airstrike attributed to Israel which it says killed one of their fighters. Israel says it recently thwarted an attempted attack by Hizbollah at the Lebanese border, firing on a group of armed men as they crossed into Israeli territory. 

Even Hizbollah has denied Israel played any role in the Beirut explosion, according to Lebanese media, which quoted a Hizbollah source who distanced the group from the rumour. 


05:14 PM

The blast is being blamed on a stash of explosives

Lebanon's Head of General Security says the blast was caused by a fire in a depot of highly explosive material, including Sodium nitrate, at Beirut's port. He said that material was confiscated from a ship months ago and stored there.


05:12 PM

The Pentagon has put out a statement

The US Pentagon said: "We are aware of the explosion and are concerned for the potential loss of life due to such a massive explosion."


05:06 PM

Bodies taken to hospitals as casualties are reported

At least 10 bodies have been taken to hospitals following a massive explosion in Beirut's port area, a Lebanese security source and a medical source told Reuters.