Beirut explosion: Lebanon in mourning as rescue workers search rubble for victims of enormous blast

Lebanon has begun three days of mourning as rescuers searched for victims of an enormous blast that killed at least 100 and injured 4,000 sending shockwaves through Beirut.

A massive operation was underway to find survivors and bodies trapped in the mangled wreckage of buildings across the city shaken by the “catastrophic” three kiloton blast, a fifth of the power of the atomic bomb that levelled Hiroshima.

President Michel Aoun said the blast was caused by 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate which had been stored unsafely in a warehouse in the Port of Beirut for six years.

Today, a welder repairing a hole in the warehouse was blamed by a security source and local media for sparking a fire at the port, which they said set light to the warehouse, causing the explosion that sent a huge mushroom cloud in the air.

Lebanon: Beirut explosion aftermath - In pictures

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US President Donald Trump earlier suggested the disaster was caused by a “terrible attack”, suggesting it was “some kind of bomb”. But US Defense Department officials later contradicted the president saying there was no indication of this.

With the death toll set to rise further, Lebanese rescue workers dug through rubble of collapsed buildings looking for trapped victims. Entire streets resembled a huge scrapyard and many buildings were ripped of windows, roofs and balconies.

President Aoun called for an emergency cabinet meeting and declared a two-week state of emergency.

He announced the government would release 100 billion lira (£50.5m) in emergency funds.

Beirut's mayor, Jamal Itani inspected the damage he estimated would cost billions to repair.

He said: "It's like a war zone. I'm speechless. This is a catastrophe for Beirut and Lebanon."

He added: "There are victims and casualties everywhere. We are still sweeping the area. There could still be victims. I hope not.”

Beirut governor Marwan Abboud said up to 300,000 people had been left homeless by the blast and added the cost of damage from blast, which extends over half the city, tops $3bn.

At hospitals across the city loved ones had been waiting all night for news of relatives who had gone missing or were wounded. Others posted requests for help online.

The Red Cross is working with health officials to set up temporary morgues because hospitals were overwhelmed.

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Hassan Diab, in a brief televised speech, appealed to all countries and friends to extend help to the small nation. He said those responsible “will pay the price", adding: "We are witnessing a real catastrophe."

Britain is looking at what technical and financial help it could provide, schools minister Nick Gibb told BBC Radio today. He said all British embassy staff had been accounted for but was unable to confirm if any Britons had been injured.

Hours after the blast, shortly after 6pm local time, fire blazed in the port district, casting an orange glow across the night sky as helicopters hovered and ambulance sirens sounded across the capital.

Local media showed victims trapped beneath rubble. Wounded and bleeding survivors were seen running and shouting for help in clouds of smoke and dust in streets littered with damaged buildings, flying debris, and wrecked cars and furniture.

The blast was heard throughout Cyprus, which is about 100 miles away.

AFP via Getty Images

For many, the explosion revived memories of a 1975-90 civil war and its aftermath, when Lebanese endured heavy shelling, car bombings and Israeli air raids. Some residents thought an earthquake had struck.

Dazed, weeping and injured people walked through streets searching for relatives.

Beirut designer Huda Baroudi said: "The blast blew me metres away. I was in a daze and was all covered in blood.”

The US embassy in Beirut warned residents about reports of toxic gases released by the blast, urging people to stay indoors and wear masks.

AFP via Getty Images

Lebanon was already on the brink of collapse amid a severe economic crisis that has ignited mass protests in recent months. Its hospitals are confronting a surge in coronavirus cases, and there were concerns the virus could spread further as people flooded into hospitals.

The blast destroyed numerous apartment buildings, potentially leaving large numbers of people homeless at a time when many Lebanese have lost their jobs and seen their savings evaporate because of a currency crisis. The explosion also raises concerns about how Lebanon will continue to import nearly all of its vital goods with its main port devastated.

The explosion happened close to the scene of the huge car bombing which killed ex-PM Rafik Hariri in 2005. Tensions in the city were already high ahead of long-awaited verdicts in the trial of four men accused of orchestrating the attack.

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