Britons are caught up in major blast in Lebanon
Shocked witnesses say blast like nuclear bomb
THE PRIME Minister has confirmed that British nationals are among those caught up in the aftermath of a huge blast in the Lebanese capital Beirut.
Boris Johnson the Government is “ready to provide support in any way we can”, and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the UK stands in solidarity with Lebanon.
In a tweet, Mr Johnson said: “The pictures and videos from Beirut tonight are shocking. All of my thoughts and prayers are with those caught up in this terrible incident.
“The UK is ready to provide support in any way we can, including to those British nationals affected.”
Videos of a huge mushroom cloud rising above the Middle Eastern city were shared on social media. The Lebanese Red Cross has said there are hundreds of casualties and a number of fatalities, with the authorities in the country yet to announce the cause of the explosion. It was reported that a fireworks store in Beirut’s port may have exploded.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said in a tweet: “The images of explosions in Beirut are deeply worrying.”
AN INVESTIGATION was under way today after a massive explosion flattened large parts of Beirut yesterday, killing dozens of people and leaving hundreds more injured.
The blast rocked central Beirut, damaging buildings and blowing out windows and doors as a giant mushroom cloud rose above the capital of Lebanon.
Lebanese Red Cross official Georges Kettaneh said there were many dead and wounded, but did not have an exact figure – just saying there were hundreds of casualties. Later reports said dozens had been killed.
A civil defence official on the scene of the blast said his men had evacuated dozens to hospitals and that there were still bodies inside the port, many of them under debris.
The cause of the blast was not immediately known but several reports suggested a fireworks store had exploded.
It was stunning even for a city that has been shaken by civil war, suicide bombings and bombardment by Israel.
Dozens of ambulances ferried the injured from the port area, where the wounded lay on the ground, Associated Press staff at the scene said. Hospitals called for blood donations.
The head of the Lebanese Red Cross told local TV there were hundreds of casualties although many were superficial wounds from broken glass.
Video taken by residents showed a fire raging at the port, sending up a giant column of smoke, illuminated by flashes of what appear to be fireworks. Local TV stations reported that a fireworks warehouse was involved.
The fire then appeared to catch at a nearby building, triggering a more massive explosion, sending up a mushroom cloud and a shock wave over the city.
“It was like a nuclear explosion,” said Walid Abdo, a 43- yearold school teacher in the neighbourhood of Gemayzeh near Beirut.
Charbel Haj, who works at the port, said it started as small explosions like firecrackers, then the huge blast erupted and he was thrown off his feet. His clothes were torn.
Miles from the port, balconies were knocked down, windows shattered, streets were covered with glass and bricks and lined with wrecked cars. The blast came at a time when Lebanon’s economy is facing collapse, hit both by a financial crisis and coronavirus restrictions. Many have lost jobs, while the worth of their savings has evaporated as the currency has plunged in value against the dollar. The result has thrown many into poverty.
It also comes amid rising tensions between Israel and the militant Hezbollah group along Lebanon’s southern border.
The explosion took place only three days before a UN- backed tribunal was set to give its verdict in the killing of former prime minister Rafik Hariri in a truck bombing more than 15 years ago.
Suddenly I lost my hearing because apparently I was too close. Witness Hadi Nasrallah talking to a BBC reporter