The explosion, which occurred near the city's waterfront, was so powerful, it was felt more than 150 miles away in Cyprus, The New York Times reported, adding that the neighborhood in which it occurred was “essentially flattened.”
The fatal blast may have begun with a fire that then spread to fireworks that then ignited ammonium nitrate being stored in the port, the Associated Press reported, citing both experts and footage from the blast.
Lebanese Interior Minister Mohammed Fahmi told a local TV station that he believed more than 2,700 tons of the chemical compound — commonly used as an agricultural fertilizer — were detonated in the blast, according to the AP.
The ammonium nitrate had reportedly been stored in a warehouse at the dock since 2014, when it was confiscated from a cargo ship.
A Lebanese general, however, told local TV that it would be "naive to describe such an explosion as due to fireworks," according to CNN.
The Times reported that ammonium nitrate is also being blamed by officials for the explosion and, according to CNN, an investigation will hone in on the ammonium nitrate stored at the port.
Experts told the AP that other explosions involving the chemical compound led to similarly massive scales of damage.
Fahmi, the Lebanese minister, did not mention fireworks as a possible cause, but Boaz Hayoun, owner of the Israeli firm Tamar Group, told the AP that all signs pointed to fireworks, too.
As officials continue to investigate and provide the city with aid, people are being encouraged to help by donating to several relief organizations, including The Lebanese Red Cross, UNICEF and Save the Children.
Source: Read Full Article