Questions over Beirut explosion
Ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse linked to catastrophic Beirut blast that injured thousands
Ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse linked to catastrophic Beirut explosion
By Helen Regan, Tamara Qiblawi, Ghazi Balkiz, Ben Wedeman and Luke McGee, CNN
Updated 8:29 PM ET, Wed August 5, 2020
By Helen Regan, Tamara Qiblawi, Ghazi Balkiz, Ben Wedeman and Luke McGee, CNN
Updated 8:29 PM ET, Wed August 5, 2020
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(CNN)Beirut was declared a 'disaster city' by authorities on Wednesday, in the wake of a huge explosion in the port of the Lebanese capital that left at least 135 people dead and 5000 injured. The number of deaths is expected to climb amid ongoing search and rescue efforts.
Many people were still missing the day after the Tuesday blast, and 300,000 have been displaced from their homes. The city's emergency services, already under strain due to the Covid-19 pandemic, were operating at decreased capacity after four hospitals were damaged. The explosion's shockwave damaged buildings up to 10 kilometers (6 miles) away.A warehouse storing thousands of tons of an unsecured and volatile chemical compound has emerged as a possible source of the blast. It's still not exactly clear what led to the ignition that wiped out entire streets, but questions swirled Wednesday over whether the authorities had failed to act on warning signs.Prime Minister Hassan Diab said that 2,750 metric tons of ammonium nitrate -- typically used as an agricultural fertilizer -- had been stored for six years at a warehouse in the Beirut port without safety measures, "endangering the safety of citizens," according to a statement.Content by CNN UnderscoredShop the top 5 bed-in-a-box mattressesLooking to purchase your first bed-in-a-box mattress? Here's exactly what to know before buying and a list of our top five mattress online delivery brands to try out now.
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(CNN)Beirut was declared a 'disaster city' by authorities on Wednesday, in the wake of a huge explosion in the port of the Lebanese capital that left at least 135 people dead and 5000 injured. The number of deaths is expected to climb amid ongoing search and rescue efforts.
Many people were still missing the day after the Tuesday blast, and 300,000 have been displaced from their homes. The city's emergency services, already under strain due to the Covid-19 pandemic, were operating at decreased capacity after four hospitals were damaged. The explosion's shockwave damaged buildings up to 10 kilometers (6 miles) away.
A warehouse storing thousands of tons of an unsecured and volatile chemical compound has emerged as a possible source of the blast. It's still not exactly clear what led to the ignition that wiped out entire streets, but questions swirled Wednesday over whether the authorities had failed to act on warning signs.
Prime Minister Hassan Diab said that 2,750 metric tons of ammonium nitrate -- typically used as an agricultural fertilizer -- had been stored for six years at a warehouse in the Beirut port without safety measures, "endangering the safety of citizens," according to a statement.
Content by CNN Underscored
Shop the top 5 bed-in-a-box mattresses
Looking to purchase your first bed-in-a-box mattress? Here's exactly what to know before buying and a list of our top five mattress online delivery brands to try out now.
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Unheard warnings
Initial reports in state media blamed the blast on a major fire at a firecrackers warehouse near the port. But the Prime Minister's account was backed up by the country's general security chief Abbas Ibrahim, who said a "highly explosive material" had been confiscated years earlier and stored in the warehouse, just minutes' walk from Beirut's shopping and nightlife districts.The Director General of Beirut Port Hassan Kraytem said Wednesday he knew the materials stored "in warehouse number 12" were dangerous, "but not to that extent." Maintenance was conducted on Warehouse 12's door hours before the blast on Tuesday, according to Kraytem."Customs and State Security sent letters [to the authorities] asking to remove or re-export the explosive materials six years ago, and we have been waiting since then for this issue to be resolved, but to no avail," Kraytem told the local television channel OTV.Maritime traffic services and documents obtained by CNN do describe a shipment of 2,750 metric tons of ammonium nitrate that was detained in Beirut in 2013 on on its way to Mozambique.The Director of Lebanese Customs, Badri Daher, told CNN that officials had written to legal authorities six times requesting for that cargo be removed from the port, but the requests went unheeded.Lebanese President Michel Aoun promised a transparent investigation into the causes of the explosion, vowing Wednesday that those responsible would be held accountable and face "severe punishment."The Lebanese cabinet ordered port officials to be placed under house arrest in the coming days, pending the results of the probe, according to Ghada Shreim, the minister for displaced people.Calls have however been growing for an international investigation into the blast. "Former Prime Ministers Najib Mikati, Fouad Siniora, Saad Hariri, and Tammam Salam find it necessary to ask the United Nations or the Arab League to form an international or Arab investigation committee," according to a joint statement released by Hariri's office.It called for the committee to be "composed of judges and investigators who are professional and impartial to start their duties in uncovering the circumstances and causes of the catastrophe that occurred in Lebanon."Rights group Amnesty International also called for the formation of an international mechanism to investigate the incident in a statement released Wednesday.As Beirut's 4 million residents struggle to come to terms Wednesday with the full horror and scale of the damage to their city, lives, and livelihoods, questions will be asked about why such large quantities of the dangerous chemical were allowed to be stored in the middle of the city without adequate safety measures -- and who is responsible.Immediate concerns remain with the casualties, which are expected to rise further. Hospitals, already stretched from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, are inundated with the wounded, and while the death toll steadily rose through into Wednesday, the true cost of life may not be known for several days as more bodies are pulled from the wreckage and the scale of the devastation is realized.Relatives of the missing are scouring hospitals looking for their loved ones. Lebanese authorities said hundreds were still missing, including children, and that 300,000 people had been displaced from their homes.Four hospitals are out of service because of damage from the explosion, Health Minister Hamad Hassan said Wednesday, adding that the health ministry has an emergency plan with field hospitals being sent from Qatar, Iran, Kuwait, Oman and Jordan. Hassan estimates that six to eight field hospitals will be ready "soon."The blast also comes at a difficult time for the cash-strapped country, which has been ravaged by economic and political turmoil exacerbated by the fallout from the Covid-19 outbreak.Though Lebanon has only confirmed 5,062 coronavirus cases and 65 related deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, pandemic-related restrictions have further exacerbated the country's deep and long-running financial crisis.Violent protests have erupted over rising hunger and poverty, which has soared to over 50%, and scenes of people scavenging garbage dumps for basic necessities have become commonplace.
Power outages are common in the capital, compounding pressures on basic services to provide for the injured.Tuesday's explosion in the Lebanese capital resulted in an estimated US$3-5 billion worth of damage, Beirut governor Marwan Abboud told reporters Wednesday.Prime Minister Diab has launched an investigation into the blast, saying he "will not rest until we find those responsible for what happened, hold them accountable, and impose maximum punishment."Ammonium nitrate is a highly volatile material that's used in agricultural fertilizer and high-grade explosives. Two US tons of the chemical was used in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, a domestic terror attack that killed 169 people. Following Tuesday's explosion, the United States Embassy in Beirut urged those in the area to "stay indoors and wear masks if available" due to reports of toxic gases released from the blast.
Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutSmoke rises after the blast. This image was obtained from a video on social media.Hide Caption20 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutLebanese Red Cross officers carry an injured woman on Tuesday night.Hide Caption21 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutA building's facade is shattered after Tuesday's explosion.Hide Caption22 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutWounded people wait to received help outside a hospital. Emergency wards have been inundated.Hide Caption23 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutAn investigation into the explosion was announced by Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab.Hide Caption24 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutPeople run for cover following the explosion. Bachar Ghattas, an eyewitness, described scenes of chaos: "You can see injured people all over the streets in Beirut, glass all over the place, cars are damaged. It is like an apocalypse."Hide Caption25 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutInjured people sit on a street after the blast.Hide Caption26 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutLebanese soldiers watch as a helicopter fights a fire at the scene of the explosion.Hide Caption27 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutA man sits near the site of the blast.Hide Caption28 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutFirefighters work at the scene on Tuesday.Hide Caption29 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutA wounded person is carried after the blast.Hide Caption30 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutThe explosion was near the port in the Lebanese capital.Hide Caption31 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutSmoke billows following the explosion.Hide Caption32 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutA wounded man walks near the scene.Hide Caption33 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutPeople gather by damaged buildings after the blast.Hide Caption34 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutFirefighters use a water hose on flaming debris.Hide Caption35 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutRed smoke rises after the explosion, which could be felt for miles. "What I felt was that it was an earthquake," Beirut resident Rania Masri told CNN.Hide Caption36 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutPeople walk near the scene of the explosion.Hide Caption37 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutA man reacts at the scene soon after the explosion.Hide Caption38 of 38
Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutThe aftermath of a massive explosion is seen in Beirut, Lebanon, on Wednesday, August 5.Hide Caption1 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutLebanese soldiers search for survivors on Wednesday. Hundreds of people have been reported missing.Hide Caption2 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutDamage is seen inside an apartment on Wednesday. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced.Hide Caption3 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutDebris hangs from a damaged facade.Hide Caption4 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutA woman walks over rubble in her apartment on Wednesday.Hide Caption5 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutThis satellite image, obtained by CNN from Planet Labs Inc., shows a massive crater at the site of Tuesday's explosion. See the before-and-after picturesHide Caption6 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutAn injured man sits next to a restaurant in the Mar Mikhael neighborhood on Wednesday.Hide Caption7 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutLebanese soldiers search for survivors on Wednesday.Hide Caption8 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutDebris litters the floor of the Lebanese Parliament on Wednesday.Hide Caption9 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutBeirut was declared a "disaster city" by authorities on Wednesday.Hide Caption10 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutA woman looks out of the collapsed facade of a Beirut apartment on Wednesday.Hide Caption11 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutThe Beirut neighborhood of Mar Mikhael sits in ruins.Hide Caption12 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutA Lebanese army helicopter flies over Beirut on Wednesday.Hide Caption13 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutA damaged hospital room is seen on Wednesday.Hide Caption14 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutPeople walk Wednesday along a road littered with debris and abandoned vehicles.Hide Caption15 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutA helicopter fights a fire Tuesday at the scene of the explosion.Hide Caption16 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutA nurse takes care of three babies in a damaged Beirut hospital on Tuesday.Hide Caption17 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutRescue crews search a street for survivors on Tuesday night. "People are asking the emergency department about their loved ones, and it is difficult to search at night because there is no electricity," Health Minister Hamad Hassan told the Reuters news agency. "We are facing a real catastrophe and need time to assess the extent of damages."Hide Caption18 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutA wounded man is helped as he walks through debris following the explosion.Hide Caption19 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutSmoke rises after the blast. This image was obtained from a video on social media.Hide Caption20 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutLebanese Red Cross officers carry an injured woman on Tuesday night.Hide Caption21 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutA building's facade is shattered after Tuesday's explosion.Hide Caption22 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutWounded people wait to received help outside a hospital. Emergency wards have been inundated.Hide Caption23 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutAn investigation into the explosion was announced by Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab.Hide Caption24 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutPeople run for cover following the explosion. Bachar Ghattas, an eyewitness, described scenes of chaos: "You can see injured people all over the streets in Beirut, glass all over the place, cars are damaged. It is like an apocalypse."Hide Caption25 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutInjured people sit on a street after the blast.Hide Caption26 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutLebanese soldiers watch as a helicopter fights a fire at the scene of the explosion.Hide Caption27 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutA man sits near the site of the blast.Hide Caption28 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutFirefighters work at the scene on Tuesday.Hide Caption29 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutA wounded person is carried after the blast.Hide Caption30 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutThe explosion was near the port in the Lebanese capital.Hide Caption31 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutSmoke billows following the explosion.Hide Caption32 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutA wounded man walks near the scene.Hide Caption33 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutPeople gather by damaged buildings after the blast.Hide Caption34 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutFirefighters use a water hose on flaming debris.Hide Caption35 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutRed smoke rises after the explosion, which could be felt for miles. "What I felt was that it was an earthquake," Beirut resident Rania Masri told CNN.Hide Caption36 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutPeople walk near the scene of the explosion.Hide Caption37 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutA man reacts at the scene soon after the explosion.Hide Caption38 of 38
Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutThe aftermath of a massive explosion is seen in Beirut, Lebanon, on Wednesday, August 5.Hide Caption1 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutLebanese soldiers search for survivors on Wednesday. Hundreds of people have been reported missing.Hide Caption2 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutDamage is seen inside an apartment on Wednesday. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced.Hide Caption3 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutDebris hangs from a damaged facade.Hide Caption4 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutA woman walks over rubble in her apartment on Wednesday.Hide Caption5 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutThis satellite image, obtained by CNN from Planet Labs Inc., shows a massive crater at the site of Tuesday's explosion. See the before-and-after picturesHide Caption6 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutAn injured man sits next to a restaurant in the Mar Mikhael neighborhood on Wednesday.Hide Caption7 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutLebanese soldiers search for survivors on Wednesday.Hide Caption8 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutDebris litters the floor of the Lebanese Parliament on Wednesday.Hide Caption9 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutBeirut was declared a "disaster city" by authorities on Wednesday.Hide Caption10 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutA woman looks out of the collapsed facade of a Beirut apartment on Wednesday.Hide Caption11 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutThe Beirut neighborhood of Mar Mikhael sits in ruins.Hide Caption12 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutA Lebanese army helicopter flies over Beirut on Wednesday.Hide Caption13 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutA damaged hospital room is seen on Wednesday.Hide Caption14 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutPeople walk Wednesday along a road littered with debris and abandoned vehicles.Hide Caption15 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutA helicopter fights a fire Tuesday at the scene of the explosion.Hide Caption16 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutA nurse takes care of three babies in a damaged Beirut hospital on Tuesday.Hide Caption17 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutRescue crews search a street for survivors on Tuesday night. "People are asking the emergency department about their loved ones, and it is difficult to search at night because there is no electricity," Health Minister Hamad Hassan told the Reuters news agency. "We are facing a real catastrophe and need time to assess the extent of damages."Hide Caption18 of 38Photos: Huge explosion rocks BeirutA wounded man is helped as he walks through debris following the explosion.Hide Caption19 of 38
However, Anthony May, a retired ATF explosives investigator for the US government, said that the bright or dark red cloud seen in videos of the blast "is not consistent with ammonium nitrate." The telltale sign of the compound would be a yellow smoke cloud, he said."I'm not saying that ammonium nitrate was not involved in this, it may have been but it appears that there were other items in there as well," May said.The amount of explosives and the shockwaves created by the blast, May said, "is typical of what would be equivalent to a kiloton nuclear bomb going off as far as the explosive weight is concerned."
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"There was no nuclear material that we know of involved in this, but the shock wave generated, the blast wave generated is at equivalent to a small nuclear device," May said.Adding to the confusion of what caused the incident, US President Donald Trump offered sympathy and assistance to the people of Lebanon, referring to the incident as a "terrible attack."Three US Defense Department officials later contradicted the President's comments, saying that as of Tuesday night there was no indication that the explosion was an "attack." Lebanese officials have not described the incident as an attack.Other world leaders, including from Israel, the United Kingdom, France, Turkey, UAE, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Russia and Spain have offered support and humanitarian medical assistance to Lebanon.
Initial reports in state media blamed the blast on a major fire at a firecrackers warehouse near the port. But the Prime Minister's account was backed up by the country's general security chief Abbas Ibrahim, who said a "highly explosive material" had been confiscated years earlier and stored in the warehouse, just minutes' walk from Beirut's shopping and nightlife districts.
The Director General of Beirut Port Hassan Kraytem said Wednesday he knew the materials stored "in warehouse number 12" were dangerous, "but not to that extent." Maintenance was conducted on Warehouse 12's door hours before the blast on Tuesday, according to Kraytem.
"Customs and State Security sent letters [to the authorities] asking to remove or re-export the explosive materials six years ago, and we have been waiting since then for this issue to be resolved, but to no avail," Kraytem told the local television channel OTV.
Maritime traffic services and documents obtained by CNN do describe a shipment of 2,750 metric tons of ammonium nitrate that was detained in Beirut in 2013 on on its way to Mozambique.
The Director of Lebanese Customs, Badri Daher, told CNN that officials had written to legal authorities six times requesting for that cargo be removed from the port, but the requests went unheeded.
Lebanese President Michel Aoun promised a transparent investigation into the causes of the explosion, vowing Wednesday that those responsible would be held accountable and face "severe punishment."
The Lebanese cabinet ordered port officials to be placed under house arrest in the coming days, pending the results of the probe, according to Ghada Shreim, the minister for displaced people.
Calls have however been growing for an international investigation into the blast. "Former Prime Ministers Najib Mikati, Fouad Siniora, Saad Hariri, and Tammam Salam find it necessary to ask the United Nations or the Arab League to form an international or Arab investigation committee," according to a joint statement released by Hariri's office.
It called for the committee to be "composed of judges and investigators who are professional and impartial to start their duties in uncovering the circumstances and causes of the catastrophe that occurred in Lebanon."
Rights group Amnesty International also called for the formation of an international mechanism to investigate the incident in a statement released Wednesday.
As Beirut's 4 million residents struggle to come to terms Wednesday with the full horror and scale of the damage to their city, lives, and livelihoods, questions will be asked about why such large quantities of the dangerous chemical were allowed to be stored in the middle of the city without adequate safety measures -- and who is responsible.
Immediate concerns remain with the casualties, which are expected to rise further. Hospitals, already stretched from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, are inundated with the wounded, and while the death toll steadily rose through into Wednesday, the true cost of life may not be known for several days as more bodies are pulled from the wreckage and the scale of the devastation is realized.
Relatives of the missing are scouring hospitals looking for their loved ones. Lebanese authorities said hundreds were still missing, including children, and that 300,000 people had been displaced from their homes.
Four hospitals are out of service because of damage from the explosion, Health Minister Hamad Hassan said Wednesday, adding that the health ministry has an emergency plan with field hospitals being sent from Qatar, Iran, Kuwait, Oman and Jordan. Hassan estimates that six to eight field hospitals will be ready "soon."
The blast also comes at a difficult time for the cash-strapped country, which has been ravaged by economic and political turmoil exacerbated by the fallout from the Covid-19 outbreak.
Though Lebanon has only confirmed 5,062 coronavirus cases and 65 related deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, pandemic-related restrictions have further exacerbated the country's deep and long-running financial crisis.
Violent protests have erupted over rising hunger and poverty, which has soared to over 50%, and scenes of people scavenging garbage dumps for basic necessities have become commonplace.
Power outages are common in the capital, compounding pressures on basic services to provide for the injured.
Tuesday's explosion in the Lebanese capital resulted in an estimated US$3-5 billion worth of damage, Beirut governor Marwan Abboud told reporters Wednesday.
Prime Minister Diab has launched an investigation into the blast, saying he "will not rest until we find those responsible for what happened, hold them accountable, and impose maximum punishment."
Ammonium nitrate is a highly volatile material that's used in agricultural fertilizer and high-grade explosives. Two US tons of the chemical was used in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, a domestic terror attack that killed 169 people. Following Tuesday's explosion, the United States Embassy in Beirut urged those in the area to "stay indoors and wear masks if available" due to reports of toxic gases released from the blast.
Photos: Huge explosion rocks Beirut
Smoke rises after the blast. This image was obtained from a video on social media.
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Lebanese Red Cross officers carry an injured woman on Tuesday night.
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A building's facade is shattered after Tuesday's explosion.
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Wounded people wait to received help outside a hospital. Emergency wards have been inundated.
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An investigation into the explosion was announced by Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab.
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People run for cover following the explosion. Bachar Ghattas, an eyewitness, described scenes of chaos: "You can see injured people all over the streets in Beirut, glass all over the place, cars are damaged. It is like an apocalypse."
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Injured people sit on a street after the blast.
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Lebanese soldiers watch as a helicopter fights a fire at the scene of the explosion.
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A man sits near the site of the blast.
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Firefighters work at the scene on Tuesday.
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A wounded person is carried after the blast.
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The explosion was near the port in the Lebanese capital.
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Smoke billows following the explosion.
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A wounded man walks near the scene.
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People gather by damaged buildings after the blast.
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Firefighters use a water hose on flaming debris.
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Red smoke rises after the explosion, which could be felt for miles. "What I felt was that it was an earthquake," Beirut resident Rania Masri told CNN.
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People walk near the scene of the explosion.
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A man reacts at the scene soon after the explosion.
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Photos: Huge explosion rocks Beirut
The aftermath of a massive explosion is seen in Beirut, Lebanon, on Wednesday, August 5.
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Lebanese soldiers search for survivors on Wednesday. Hundreds of people have been reported missing.
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Damage is seen inside an apartment on Wednesday. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced.
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Debris hangs from a damaged facade.
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A woman walks over rubble in her apartment on Wednesday.
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Photos: Huge explosion rocks Beirut
This satellite image, obtained by CNN from Planet Labs Inc., shows a massive crater at the site of Tuesday's explosion. See the before-and-after pictures
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An injured man sits next to a restaurant in the Mar Mikhael neighborhood on Wednesday.
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Lebanese soldiers search for survivors on Wednesday.
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Debris litters the floor of the Lebanese Parliament on Wednesday.
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Beirut was declared a "disaster city" by authorities on Wednesday.
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A woman looks out of the collapsed facade of a Beirut apartment on Wednesday.
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The Beirut neighborhood of Mar Mikhael sits in ruins.
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A Lebanese army helicopter flies over Beirut on Wednesday.
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A damaged hospital room is seen on Wednesday.
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People walk Wednesday along a road littered with debris and abandoned vehicles.
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Photos: Huge explosion rocks Beirut
A helicopter fights a fire Tuesday at the scene of the explosion.
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A nurse takes care of three babies in a damaged Beirut hospital on Tuesday.
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Rescue crews search a street for survivors on Tuesday night. "People are asking the emergency department about their loved ones, and it is difficult to search at night because there is no electricity," Health Minister Hamad Hassan told the Reuters news agency. "We are facing a real catastrophe and need time to assess the extent of damages."
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Photos: Huge explosion rocks Beirut
A wounded man is helped as he walks through debris following the explosion.
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Photos: Huge explosion rocks Beirut
Smoke rises after the blast. This image was obtained from a video on social media.
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Lebanese Red Cross officers carry an injured woman on Tuesday night.
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Photos: Huge explosion rocks Beirut
A building's facade is shattered after Tuesday's explosion.
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Photos: Huge explosion rocks Beirut
Wounded people wait to received help outside a hospital. Emergency wards have been inundated.
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Photos: Huge explosion rocks Beirut
An investigation into the explosion was announced by Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab.
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Photos: Huge explosion rocks Beirut
People run for cover following the explosion. Bachar Ghattas, an eyewitness, described scenes of chaos: "You can see injured people all over the streets in Beirut, glass all over the place, cars are damaged. It is like an apocalypse."
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Photos: Huge explosion rocks Beirut
Injured people sit on a street after the blast.
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Lebanese soldiers watch as a helicopter fights a fire at the scene of the explosion.
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A man sits near the site of the blast.
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Firefighters work at the scene on Tuesday.
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A wounded person is carried after the blast.
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The explosion was near the port in the Lebanese capital.
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Smoke billows following the explosion.
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A wounded man walks near the scene.
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People gather by damaged buildings after the blast.
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Firefighters use a water hose on flaming debris.
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Red smoke rises after the explosion, which could be felt for miles. "What I felt was that it was an earthquake," Beirut resident Rania Masri told CNN.
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People walk near the scene of the explosion.
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A man reacts at the scene soon after the explosion.
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The aftermath of a massive explosion is seen in Beirut, Lebanon, on Wednesday, August 5.
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Lebanese soldiers search for survivors on Wednesday. Hundreds of people have been reported missing.
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Photos: Huge explosion rocks Beirut
Damage is seen inside an apartment on Wednesday. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced.
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Photos: Huge explosion rocks Beirut
Debris hangs from a damaged facade.
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A woman walks over rubble in her apartment on Wednesday.
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This satellite image, obtained by CNN from Planet Labs Inc., shows a massive crater at the site of Tuesday's explosion. See the before-and-after pictures
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Photos: Huge explosion rocks Beirut
An injured man sits next to a restaurant in the Mar Mikhael neighborhood on Wednesday.
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Lebanese soldiers search for survivors on Wednesday.
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Debris litters the floor of the Lebanese Parliament on Wednesday.
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Beirut was declared a "disaster city" by authorities on Wednesday.
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A woman looks out of the collapsed facade of a Beirut apartment on Wednesday.
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The Beirut neighborhood of Mar Mikhael sits in ruins.
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A Lebanese army helicopter flies over Beirut on Wednesday.
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A damaged hospital room is seen on Wednesday.
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People walk Wednesday along a road littered with debris and abandoned vehicles.
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A helicopter fights a fire Tuesday at the scene of the explosion.
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A nurse takes care of three babies in a damaged Beirut hospital on Tuesday.
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Rescue crews search a street for survivors on Tuesday night. "People are asking the emergency department about their loved ones, and it is difficult to search at night because there is no electricity," Health Minister Hamad Hassan told the Reuters news agency. "We are facing a real catastrophe and need time to assess the extent of damages."
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A wounded man is helped as he walks through debris following the explosion.
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However, Anthony May, a retired ATF explosives investigator for the US government, said that the bright or dark red cloud seen in videos of the blast "is not consistent with ammonium nitrate." The telltale sign of the compound would be a yellow smoke cloud, he said.
"I'm not saying that ammonium nitrate was not involved in this, it may have been but it appears that there were other items in there as well," May said.
The amount of explosives and the shockwaves created by the blast, May said, "is typical of what would be equivalent to a kiloton nuclear bomb going off as far as the explosive weight is concerned."
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"There was no nuclear material that we know of involved in this, but the shock wave generated, the blast wave generated is at equivalent to a small nuclear device," May said.
Adding to the confusion of what caused the incident, US President Donald Trump offered sympathy and assistance to the people of Lebanon, referring to the incident as a "terrible attack."
Three US Defense Department officials later contradicted the President's comments, saying that as of Tuesday night there was no indication that the explosion was an "attack." Lebanese officials have not described the incident as an attack.
Other world leaders, including from Israel, the United Kingdom, France, Turkey, UAE, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Russia and Spain have offered support and humanitarian medical assistance to Lebanon.
Apocalyptic scenes akin to 'Hiroshima'
The explosion, which happened just after 6 p.m. local time (11 a.m. ET), tore through the city and wreaked havoc on nearly all of Beirut's quarters, registering as a 3.3 magnitude earthquake in the Lebanese capital.A crater created by the explosion appeared to be roughly 124 meters (405 feet) in diameter, or well over a football field in length, according to CNN analysis of a Planet Labs, Inc. satellite image.Footage captured the injured staggering through streets in the capital; and ambulances, cars and military vehicles packed with the wounded.One resident said the scenes looked "like an apocalypse," another said the port was "totally destroyed.""You can see injured people all over the streets in Beirut, glass all over the place, cars are damaged," said Bachar Ghattas, another resident. "It is very, very frightening what is happening right now, and people are freaking out. The emergency services are overwhelmed."The official residence of Lebanon's President, the headquarters of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, and CNN's bureau in downtown Beirut were damaged. Homes as far as 10 kilometers (6 miles) away were also damaged, according to witnesses. Hariri on Wednesday called for international experts to take part in the investigation into the blast.The city's governor Marwan Abboud said the scene reminded him of the atomic bomb blasts at the end of the Second World War in "Hiroshima and Nagasaki.""In my life I haven't seen destruction on this scale," Abboud said. "This is a national catastrophe."Hospitals in Beirut were overwhelmed with the wounded and doctors conducted triage on dozens of injured people in car parks and sidewalks. Some were so full they were turning people away, one witness said."The emergency room looked like a war had begun, the children -- their hands, their legs, I couldn't believe what I was seeing," said Serge Mahdessian, a hairdresser in Beirut.
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Open lots turned into makeshift field hospitals as people pulled themselves and their loved ones out of the rubble of their homes. Some had broken limbs, others had been showered with shards of glass. Some patients were unconscious. One of Beirut's major hospitals, Hotel Dieu, received around 400 injured patients, an employee told CNN.The Lebanese Red Cross implored the public on Twitter for blood donations to help the wounded and said it has opened triage centers and first aid stations to help those with non-critical injuries. All its ambulances across the entire country were dispatched to the capital to support with the rescue and evacuation of patients.The Philippine Embassy in Beirut on Wednesday confirmed that two of its citizens died in the explosion. Eight other Filipinos suffered injuries, including one in critical but stable condition. Two of the injured were part of a group of 13 Filipino seafarers whose ship was docked "some 400 meters away from blast zone," said the Embassy, who added that the other 11 have been reported as missing.The scene of an explosion near the the port in the Lebanese capital Beirut on August 4, 2020.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said at least one Australian was killed in the blast and the Australian Embassy building has been "significantly compromised."Among the injured are six Turkish citizens, a Chinese citizen, a Japanese national and an Indonesian, according to their respective governments. South Korea's foreign ministry said its embassy in Beirut sustained minor damage but had not received any reports of South Korean victims.CNN's Mary Ilyushina, Katie Polglase, Isaac Yee, Charbel Mayo, Angus Watson, Yoko Wakatsuki, Jake Kwon, Barbara Starr, Ryan Browne, Jessie Yeung, Joshua Berlinger, Raja Razek, Samantha Beech, Schams Elwazer, Mohammed Tawfeeq, Tara John, Alessandria Masi, Nada AlTaher, Hamdi Alkhshali, Amir Tal, Andrew Carey, Jennifer Hansler and Paul Murphy contributed to this report
The explosion, which happened just after 6 p.m. local time (11 a.m. ET), tore through the city and wreaked havoc on nearly all of Beirut's quarters, registering as a 3.3 magnitude earthquake in the Lebanese capital.
A crater created by the explosion appeared to be roughly 124 meters (405 feet) in diameter, or well over a football field in length, according to CNN analysis of a Planet Labs, Inc. satellite image.
Footage captured the injured staggering through streets in the capital; and ambulances, cars and military vehicles packed with the wounded.
One resident said the scenes looked "like an apocalypse," another said the port was "totally destroyed."
"You can see injured people all over the streets in Beirut, glass all over the place, cars are damaged," said Bachar Ghattas, another resident. "It is very, very frightening what is happening right now, and people are freaking out. The emergency services are overwhelmed."
The official residence of Lebanon's President, the headquarters of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, and CNN's bureau in downtown Beirut were damaged. Homes as far as 10 kilometers (6 miles) away were also damaged, according to witnesses. Hariri on Wednesday called for international experts to take part in the investigation into the blast.
The city's governor Marwan Abboud said the scene reminded him of the atomic bomb blasts at the end of the Second World War in "Hiroshima and Nagasaki."
"In my life I haven't seen destruction on this scale," Abboud said. "This is a national catastrophe."
Hospitals in Beirut were overwhelmed with the wounded and doctors conducted triage on dozens of injured people in car parks and sidewalks. Some were so full they were turning people away, one witness said.
"The emergency room looked like a war had begun, the children -- their hands, their legs, I couldn't believe what I was seeing," said Serge Mahdessian, a hairdresser in Beirut.
PLANET LABS, INC.
Open lots turned into makeshift field hospitals as people pulled themselves and their loved ones out of the rubble of their homes. Some had broken limbs, others had been showered with shards of glass. Some patients were unconscious. One of Beirut's major hospitals, Hotel Dieu, received around 400 injured patients, an employee told CNN.
The Lebanese Red Cross implored the public on Twitter for blood donations to help the wounded and said it has opened triage centers and first aid stations to help those with non-critical injuries. All its ambulances across the entire country were dispatched to the capital to support with the rescue and evacuation of patients.
The Philippine Embassy in Beirut on Wednesday confirmed that two of its citizens died in the explosion. Eight other Filipinos suffered injuries, including one in critical but stable condition. Two of the injured were part of a group of 13 Filipino seafarers whose ship was docked "some 400 meters away from blast zone," said the Embassy, who added that the other 11 have been reported as missing.
The scene of an explosion near the the port in the Lebanese capital Beirut on August 4, 2020.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said at least one Australian was killed in the blast and the Australian Embassy building has been "significantly compromised."
Among the injured are six Turkish citizens, a Chinese citizen, a Japanese national and an Indonesian, according to their respective governments. South Korea's foreign ministry said its embassy in Beirut sustained minor damage but had not received any reports of South Korean victims.
CNN's Mary Ilyushina, Katie Polglase, Isaac Yee, Charbel Mayo, Angus Watson, Yoko Wakatsuki, Jake Kwon, Barbara Starr, Ryan Browne, Jessie Yeung, Joshua Berlinger, Raja Razek, Samantha Beech, Schams Elwazer, Mohammed Tawfeeq, Tara John, Alessandria Masi, Nada AlTaher, Hamdi Alkhshali, Amir Tal, Andrew Carey, Jennifer Hansler and Paul Murphy contributed to this report
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