On Tuesday (Aug. 4), a powerful explosion rocked the Lebanese city of Beirut killing dozens of people and injuring thousands more. According to Health Minister Hamad Hassan, so far, at least 73 people have been killed in the blast and at least 2,750 have sustained injuries.
The explosion took place at a warehouse where “high explosive materials” that were confiscated years ago were being held. Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab says the incident is under investigation.
The probe will reportedly include “revelations that will be announced about this dangerous warehouse which has been present since 2014,” he said. Diab also stated that the blast “will not pass without accountability” and “those responsible will pay for what happened.”
Multiple people were able to catch the explosion on camera. In the videos, you can see smoke coming from a fire followed by a huge blast and a mushroom cloud. Witnesses talked to BBC about what they experienced during the explosion.
“I saw the fire, but I didn’t yet know there was going to be an explosion,” said eyewitness Hadi Nasrallah. “We went inside. Suddenly, I lost my hearing because apparently I was too close. I lost my hearing for a few seconds, I knew something was wrong.”
Hospitals are now overwhelmed by all of the injuries and deaths from the incident. Some patients had broken arms and legs while others were covered in pieces of glass. There were also patients who were completely unconscious.
President Trump has called the explosion a “terrible” attack. “We have a very good relationship with the people of Lebanon and we will be there to help. It looks like a terrible attack,” he told reporters at the White House.
“I’ve met with some of our great generals and they just seem to feel that this was not some kind of manufacturing explosion type of an event … They seem to think it was an attack. It was a bomb of some kind,” he continued.
The REVOLT team would like to send our thoughts and prayers to everyone affected by the deadly explosion.