Beirut :Two explosions rocked the Lebanese capital of Beirut on Tuesday afternoon, shattering windows for miles across the city. Dozens were killed and thousands injured, local officials said.
Lebanese authorities said the blasts killed at least 78 people and injured more than 4,000. The Lebanese Red Cross said those numbers are likely to increase as the dust settles.
Authorities said a warehouse near Beirut’s port was the source of the explosion after a fire started inside the building.
The secondary blast was larger, creating a shockwave that pushed through the city for a radius of miles, blowing out windows in its path. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said the presidential palace sustained damage to windows and doors, though no one there was injured.
The cause of the fire was under investigation, but the Interior Ministry said stores of ammonium nitrate was likely to blame.
Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab said the storage of ammonium nitrate at the warehouse was “unacceptable.”
“I will not rest until we find those responsible for what happened, hold them accountable and impose maximum punishment,” he said.
