SHAFAQNA- At least 100 dead and 4,000 wounded in a massive explosion that rocked central Lebanon’s Beirut on Tuesday. Beirut’s city governor Marwan Abboud said up to 300,000 people have lost their homes and authorities are working on providing them with food, water and shelter.
Lebanese President Michel Aoun called for an emergency cabinet meeting on Wednesday and said a two-week state of emergency should be declared following a massive explosion in Beirut . The explosion on Tuesday sent shockwaves across the city, causing widespread damage even on the outskirts of the capital.
The image, taken by a drone, shows a destroyed events and exhibition hall near the scene of an explosion. Across the city, shop and apartment windows were blown out and streets covered with broken glass. The head of the Lebanese Red Cross, George Kettana, has told Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International that there are over 4,000 people injured, some in a serious condition, and that the number of fatalities may reach 100. Some victims are still trapped under rubble, Kettana said.
Rescue teams have worked through the night into Wednesday morning, in the hope of recovering survivors. Officials expect the death toll will rise further. There are reports that six medical workers are among those who were killed in the explosion, though it is not possible to confirm this. Several hospitals were damaged in the blast, with parts of their ceilings collapsing, windows shattered and electricity cut off.
The cause of the explosion was not immediately clear. Officials linked the blast to some 2,750 tonnes of confiscated ammonium nitrate that were being stored in a warehouse at the port for six years. Aoun assembled the country’s High Defence Council following the explosion, Al Jazeera reported. Israeli officials said Israel, which has fought several wars with Lebanon, had nothing to do with Tuesday’s blast . Prime Minister Hassan Diab said that those responsible for the incident at a “dangerous” warehouse would pay the price. “I promise you that this catastrophe will not pass without accountability,” he said in a televised speech, according to Independent.
Many missing
“There are many people missing. 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 Hasan told Reuters. Residents, desperate to reach their loved ones, are sharing pictures of missing relatives, as well as phone numbers online. On Instagram, a page, locatevictimsbeirut, has also been set up to try to locate people in the aftermath of the blast, The Guardian reported.
Countries around the world have been paying tribute to victims of deadly blast in Beirut on Tuesday and sending offers of assistance to Lebanon, a country already reeling from the effects of overlapping crises before disaster struck its capital. Meanwhile, Iran’s top diplomat expressed Tehran’s support for the “resilient” people of Lebanon after the blasts, France 24 told. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the great and resilient people of Lebanon,” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted. “As always, Iran is fully prepared to render assistance in any way necessary,” he said. “Stay strong, Lebanon.”