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he mega-blast that tore through Lebanons capital with the force of an earthquake, killing more than 100 people and injuring over 4,000, resulted from the ignition of a huge depot of ammonium nitrate at Beiruts port, officials say, but many questions remain.
Here is what we know so far.
An initial large explosion in the port area of Beirut took place around 6:00 pm (1500 GMT), resulting in a fire, several small blasts and then a colossal explosion that flattened the harbour front and surrounding buildings.
Seismologists measured the event, which blew out windows at the citys international airport nine kilometres (more than five miles) away, as the equivalent of a 3.3-magnitude earthquake.
Video stills show an intense blazing fireball rising above a line of massive storage silos, then a billowing cloud towering into the sky as a powerful shockwave rips through Lebanons biggest city.
WHY SUCH A BIG BLAST?
Lebanons Prime Minister Hassan Diab said 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, an agricultural fertilizer, stored in a portside warehouse had blown up, sparking a disaster in every sense of the word.
Ammonium nitrate is an odourless crystalline substance that has been the cause of numerous industrial explosions over the decades.
When combined with fuel oils, it creates a potent explosive widely used in the construction industry, but also by insurgent groups such as the Taliban for improvised explosive devices.
Lebanons General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim said the material had been confiscated years earlier and stored in the warehouse, located close to Beiruts shopping and nightlife districts.
WAS IT DELIBERATE?
There has been no indication from Lebanese officials that the explosions were caused deliberately.
U.S. President Donald Trump said late Tuesday that U.S. generals had told him the explosions appeared to have been caused by a bomb of some kind.
It looks like a terrible attack, Trump said. But a Pentagon spokesman, when asked about the presidents remarks, told AFP that we dont have anything for you and you will have to reach out to the White House for clarification.
Diabs government described the circumstances at the port that led to the explosion as unacceptable and vowed to investigate.
HOW MANY CASUALTIES?
The blasts killed more than 100 people and injured over 4,000, the Lebanese Red Cross said Wednesday, in the latest updated toll.
Search and rescue teams were still sifting through areas surrounding the port, it added, with rubble from flattened buildings spread across a wide area.
Injuries were recorded right across the city, with glass blown out of buildings in multiple districts.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Lebanons national defence council has declared Beirut a disaster zone and Diab has appealed to Lebanons allies to stand by the country and send aid.
President Michel Aoun has announced he will release 100 billion lira (US66 million, 55 million euros) of emergency funds.
But the country is in the middle of an enormous economic crisis and its hospitals are already overwhelmed by the coronavirus pandemic.
The U.S., France, Qatar, Iran and even Lebanons arch foe Israel have offered to send aid.
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CODY HIBBARD YOU TO ME 12:48 PM |
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THE BAND PERRY DONE 12:45 PM |
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ERIC CHURCH CREEPIN 12:41 PM |
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BILLY CURRINGTON ANCHOR MAN 12:37 PM |
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MIRANDA LAMBERT PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS 12:34 PM |
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LITTLE BIG TOWN WHISKEY COLORED EYES 12:31 PM |
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TIM MONTANA GET EM UP 12:28 PM |
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TAYLOR SWIFT BEGIN AGAIN 12:24 PM |
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LINDSAY ELL SHUT ME UP 12:21 PM |
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KYLIE MORGAN OLD ME 12:17 PM |
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