Beirut blast toll crosses 100: Lebanese Red Cross

More than 100 people have been killed in the two explosions which rocked Lebanon’s capital Beirut on Tuesday, AFP quoted the Lebanese Red Cross. Thousands have been reported of being wounded.

The devastating explosion sent shockwaves across the city and was felt as far as Nicosia on the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus, 240 kilometres (150 miles) away. Beirut was declared a  disaster-stricken city by the Lebanon’s High Defence Council.

Although the source of the explosion wasn’t immediately known, the Lebanese authorities said that thousands of tons of ammonium nitrate that was stored in a warehouse in the Beirut port, exploded.

Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab later confirmed 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate that had been stored for years in a Beirut portside warehouse had blown up.

The twin explosions on Tuesday shook buildings, shattered glasses and sent huge plumes of smoke billowing into the sky. A huge cloud of black smoke engulfed the entire port area, where the explosions took place. 

Meanwhile, PM Diab has declared a national day of mourning to be observed on Wednesday.