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At least 70 people have been killed and 3,000 more injured in a huge explosion in the Lebanese
capital Beirut, according to the country’s health minister. George Kettan, head of Lebanon’s Red Cross, said there were victims “everywhere – in all
the streets and areas near and far” from the blast.
Prime Minister Hassan Diab has called the blast a “big catastrophe ” and vowed that those responsible would pay the price, adding that it happened at a “dangerous” warehouse. He said that the explosion was caused by 2,750 tonnes of
ammonium nitrate which was left unsecured at a building near the city’s port.
Footage posted on social media showed the moment a building several storeys high exploded,
sending a vast shockwave across the city that was heard and felt as far away as Cyprus – more
than 125 miles (200km) away. The explosion was centred around the city’s port area, and sent powerful waves rippling through several areas of the capital.
Lebanon’s internal security chief Abbas Ibrahim said it it might have been caused by highly-
explosive material confiscated from a ship some time ago and stored at the port.
Witnesses said a number of people were injured during the widespread destruction across the city, with residents reporting collapsed ceilings and shattered windows as far as 2km away.
