A massive explosion and serious shock wave shook the Lebanese capital city of Beirut on Tuesday. Emergency workers are presently responding, but the severity of the damage and the number of casualties are unknown.
Videos of the huge blast, the exact cause of which has yet to be determined, quickly surfaced on social media.
Lebanon's National News Agency reported that a fire broke out at a fireworks warehouse, suggesting this may have triggered the explosion.
Local reports said that the blast was felt miles away.
Major General Ibrahim, the Director General of Lebanese Intelligence, dismissed the fireworks explanation as "ridiculous," attributing the blast to confiscated highly-explosive materials being stored at the local port. Local media reported that the confiscated material was sodium nitrate.
A red-orange cloud, the color of which could be explained by nitrates, lingered over part of the city after the explosion. The extent of the damage is currently unknown, but local reports indicate that while the blast was focused on the port area, there was extensive, widespread damage across the city, as well as an unknown number of casualties.
The national news agency reports that "the number of casualties is countless."
#Beirut #Lebanon pic.twitter.com/pFXvDeKAgF
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