What's the unsolved mystery behind the Beirut Blast? Get to know in this video..

WION Exclusive Ground Report: The unsolved mystery behind the Beirut Blast

Exclusive visuals from the Beirut blast site. Watch in these visual, after the enormous blast, how the epicenter looks like?

Exclusive visuals from the Beirut blast site

Riot police fired tear gas at demonstrators trying to break through a barrier to get to the parliament building in Beirut on Saturday during a protest over the government's handling of this week's devastating explosion in the city.

About 5,000 people gathered in Martyrs' Square in the city centre, some throwing stones. Police fired tear gas when some protesters tried to break through the barrier blocking a street leading to parliament, a Reuters journalist said.

The protesters chanted "the people want the fall of the regime," and held posters saying "Leave, you are all killers."

Also read:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/beirut-explosion-created-massive-crater-at-port-satellite-imagery-shows-318495">&nbsp;Beirut explosion created massive crater at port, satellite imagery shows</a>

"We want a future with dignity, we don’t want the blood of the victims of the explosion wasted," said Rose Sirour, one of the demonstrators.

Tuesday's blast in the port, the biggest explosion in Beirut's history, killed 154 people, injured 5,000 and destroyed a swathe of the city.

The government has promised to hold those responsible to account.

Some residents, struggling to clean up shattered homes, complain the government they see as corrupt - there had been months of protests against its handling of a deep economic crisis before this week's disaster - has let them down again.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/beiruts-accidental-cargo-how-an-unscheduled-port-visit-led-to-disaster-318756">Beirut's accidental cargo: How an unscheduled port visit led to disaster</a>

"We have no trust in our government," said university student Celine Dibo as she scrubbed blood off the walls of her shattered apartment building. "I wish the United Nations would take over Lebanon."

Several people said they were not at all surprised that French President Emmanuel Macron had visited their gutted neighbourhoods this week while Lebanese leaders had not.

"We are living in ground zero. I hope another country would just take us over. Our leaders are a bunch of corrupt people," said psychologist Maryse Hayek, 48, whose parents' house was destroyed in the explosion.

Lebanon's Kataeb Party, a Christian group that opposes the government backed by the Iran-aligned Hezbollah, announced on Saturday the resignation of its three lawmakers from parliament.

"I invite all honourable (lawmakers) to resign so that the people can decide who will govern them, without anybody imposing anything to them," said party chief Samy Gemayel, announcing the move during the funeral of a leading member of the group who died in the explosion.

Macron, who visited Beirut on Thursday, promised angry crowds that aid to rebuild the city would not fall into "corrupt hands". He will host a donor conference for Lebanon via video-link on Sunday, his office said.

The prime minister and presidency have said 2,750 tonnes of highly explosive ammonium nitrate, which is used in making fertilisers and bombs, had been stored for six years without safety measures at the port warehouse.

President Michel Aoun said on Friday an investigation would examine whether it was caused by a bomb or other external interference. Aoun said the investigation would also weigh if the blast was due to negligence or an accident. Twenty people had been detained so far, he added.

'We can't afford to rebuild'

Some residents wondered how they would ever rebuild their lives.

Tearing up, Bilal Hassan used his bare hands to try to remove debris from his home. He has been sleeping on a dusty couch besides pieces of splintered glass.

When his three wounded teenage children ran for their lives they left blood stains on the staircase and walls.

"There is really nothing we can do. We can't afford to rebuild and no one is helping us," he said, standing beside a large teddy bear that was blown across his home, and a damaged photograph of him and his wife.

Bulldozers ploughed through the wreckage of mangled homes and long rows of flattened cars as soldiers stood by. Volunteers with shovels streamed through streets.

Danielle Chemaly said her charity organisation, whose headquarters was destroyed, had provided assistance to 70 families who were left homeless.

"We have given people initial help but we don't know what we can do for families in the future. It requires major projects," she said.

Officials have said the blast could have caused losses amounting to $15 billion. That is a bill that Lebanon cannot pay after already defaulting on a mountain of debt - exceeding 150% of economic output - and with talks stalled on a lifeline from the International Monetary Fund.

Aid from abroad&nbsp;

France and other countries have rushed emergency aid to Lebanon, including doctors, and tons of health equipment and food. The blast destroyed Lebanon's only major grain silo and U.N. agencies are helping provide emergency food and medical aid.

Arab League Chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit said after a meeting with Aoun on Saturday he would seek to mobilise Arab efforts to provide support to Lebanon. Also speaking after meeting Aoun, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said his country is ready to help rebuild the port.

For ordinary Lebanese, the scale of destruction is overwhelming.

"It felt like a mini atomic bomb," said George Rohana, sitting beside a supermarket that was demolished.

Marita Abou Jawda was handing out bread and cheese to victims of the blast.

"Macron offered to help and our government has not done anything. It has always been like that," she said. "After Macron visited I played the French national anthem all day in my car."

Riot police fired tear gas at demonstrators trying to break through a barrier to get to the parliament building in Beirut on Saturday during a protest over the government's handling of this week's devastating explosion in the city.

Riot police fired tear gas at demonstrators trying to break through a barrier to get to the parliament building in Beirut on Saturday during a protest over the government's handling of this week's devastating explosion in the city. About 5,000 people gathered in Martyrs' Square in the city centre, some throwing stones. Police fired tear gas when some protesters tried to break through the barrier blocking a street leading to parliament, a Reuters journalist said. The protesters chanted "the people want the fall of the regime," and held posters saying "Leave, you are all killers." Also read: Beirut explosion created massive crater at port, satellite imagery shows "We want a future with dignity, we don’t want the blood of the victims of the explosion wasted," said Rose Sirour, one of the demonstrators. Tuesday's blast in the port, the biggest explosion in Beirut's history, killed 154 people, injured 5,000 and destroyed a swathe of the city. The government has promised to hold those responsible to account. Some residents, struggling to clean up shattered homes, complain the government they see as corrupt - there had been months of protests against its handling of a deep economic crisis before this week's disaster - has let them down again. Also read: Beirut's accidental cargo: How an unscheduled port visit led to disaster "We have no trust in our government," said university student Celine Dibo as she scrubbed blood off the walls of her shattered apartment building. "I wish the United Nations would take over Lebanon." Several people said they were not at all surprised that French President Emmanuel Macron had visited their gutted neighbourhoods this week while Lebanese leaders had not. "We are living in ground zero. I hope another country would just take us over. Our leaders are a bunch of corrupt people," said psychologist Maryse Hayek, 48, whose parents' house was destroyed in the explosion. Lebanon's Kataeb Party, a Christian group that opposes the government backed by the Iran-aligned Hezbollah, announced on Saturday the resignation of its three lawmakers from parliament. "I invite all honourable (lawmakers) to resign so that the people can decide who will govern them, without anybody imposing anything to them," said party chief Samy Gemayel, announcing the move during the funeral of a leading member of the group who died in the explosion. Macron, who visited Beirut on Thursday, promised angry crowds that aid to rebuild the city would not fall into "corrupt hands". He will host a donor conference for Lebanon via video-link on Sunday, his office said. The prime minister and presidency have said 2,750 tonnes of highly explosive ammonium nitrate, which is used in making fertilisers and bombs, had been stored for six years without safety measures at the port warehouse. President Michel Aoun said on Friday an investigation would examine whether it was caused by a bomb or other external interference. Aoun said the investigation would also weigh if the blast was due to negligence or an accident. Twenty people had been detained so far, he added. 'We can't afford to rebuild' Some residents wondered how they would ever rebuild their lives. Tearing up, Bilal Hassan used his bare hands to try to remove debris from his home. He has been sleeping on a dusty couch besides pieces of splintered glass. When his three wounded teenage children ran for their lives they left blood stains on the staircase and walls. "There is really nothing we can do. We can't afford to rebuild and no one is helping us," he said, standing beside a large teddy bear that was blown across his home, and a damaged photograph of him and his wife. Bulldozers ploughed through the wreckage of mangled homes and long rows of flattened cars as soldiers stood by. Volunteers with shovels streamed through streets. Danielle Chemaly said her charity organisation, whose headquarters was destroyed, had provided assistance to 70 families who were left homeless. "We have given people initial help but we don't know what we can do for families in the future. It requires major projects," she said. Officials have said the blast could have caused losses amounting to $15 billion. That is a bill that Lebanon cannot pay after already defaulting on a mountain of debt - exceeding 150% of economic output - and with talks stalled on a lifeline from the International Monetary Fund. Aid from abroad France and other countries have rushed emergency aid to Lebanon, including doctors, and tons of health equipment and food. The blast destroyed Lebanon's only major grain silo and U.N. agencies are helping provide emergency food and medical aid. Arab League Chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit said after a meeting with Aoun on Saturday he would seek to mobilise Arab efforts to provide support to Lebanon. Also speaking after meeting Aoun, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said his country is ready to help rebuild the port. For ordinary Lebanese, the scale of destruction is overwhelming. "It felt like a mini atomic bomb," said George Rohana, sitting beside a supermarket that was demolished. Marita Abou Jawda was handing out bread and cheese to victims of the blast. "Macron offered to help and our government has not done anything. It has always been like that," she said. "After Macron visited I played the French national anthem all day in my car."

Police fire tear gas at Beirut protesters angry over explosion

A Lebanese businessman whose cruise ship was destroyed and in the Beirut port explosion has filed a lawsuit against those who will be found responsible for this week's blast.

According to Lebanon's state-run National News agency, the lady had some staff members killed and wounded.

Orient Queen owner Merhi Abou Merhi on Friday became the first person to sue over the Tuesday explosion that killed at least 154 people, wounded more than 5,000 and damaged wide parts of the Lebanese capital.

Two Orient Queen employees, a Syrian and an Ethiopian, were killed and seven others were wounded in the blast.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/lebanons-hezbollah-leader-denies-storing-arms-at-beirut-blast-site-318967">Also read | Lebanon's Hezbollah leader denies storing arms at Beirut blast site</a>

Lebanon's state news agency says the chief of the customs department has been questioned by a judge over this week's deadly blast in Beirut, after which the judge placed him under arrest.

Sixteen other port officials and staffers are also under arrest.

Daher has said he and his predecessor sent six letters, the last of which was in 2017, to a judge, warning repeatedly that the huge stockpile of ammonium nitrate stored in the port was a danger. They had asked judicial officials for a ruling on a way to remove it.

(with inputs from agencies)

A Lebanese businessman whose cruise ship was destroyed and in the Beirut port explosion has filed a lawsuit against those who will be found responsible for this week's blast.

A Lebanese businessman whose cruise ship was destroyed and in the Beirut port explosion has filed a lawsuit against those who will be found responsible for this week's blast. According to Lebanon's state-run National News agency, the lady had some staff members killed and wounded. Orient Queen owner Merhi Abou Merhi on Friday became the first person to sue over the Tuesday explosion that killed at least 154 people, wounded more than 5,000 and damaged wide parts of the Lebanese capital. Two Orient Queen employees, a Syrian and an Ethiopian, were killed and seven others were wounded in the blast. Also read | Lebanon's Hezbollah leader denies storing arms at Beirut blast site Lebanon's state news agency says the chief of the customs department has been questioned by a judge over this week's deadly blast in Beirut, after which the judge placed him under arrest. Sixteen other port officials and staffers are also under arrest. Daher has said he and his predecessor sent six letters, the last of which was in 2017, to a judge, warning repeatedly that the huge stockpile of ammonium nitrate stored in the port was a danger. They had asked judicial officials for a ruling on a way to remove it. (with inputs from agencies)

Ship owner files lawsuit against those responsible for Beirut port explosion

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah has denied the involvement of his powerful Shiite movement in the Beirut explosion that killed more than 150 people.

The blast injured at least 5,000 people and devastated entire districts of the capital, leaving some 300,000 people temporarily homeless.

Nasrallah said they had not stored arms at Beirut's port, describing the cataclysmic explosion there as "a major tragedy".&nbsp;

"We have nothing in the port: not an arms depot, nor a missile depot nor missiles nor rifles nor bombs nor bullets nor (ammonium) nitrate," Nasrallah said in a televised speech three days after the blast in the Lebanese capital.

He called the explosion a "major tragedy and humanitarian catastrophe," saying it required a kind of response that would match its "exceptional" scale.

An investigation by authorities has so far led to 21 arrests, as well as travel bans and asset freezes.

Authorities had said a fire at the port had ignited tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored there for years, but President Michel Aoun said Friday it could have been caused by an attack.

The Hezbollah leader warned against delays in the probe, saying: "If the Lebanese state and the political class... do not reach a conclusion in the investigations this means... there is no hope to build a state."

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday made a snap, but influential, visit to Beirut, where he pressed leaders for change and announced an international aid conference in the coming days.

He met with several Lebanese leaders, including Hezbollah representatives on his one-day trip.

Hezbollah is the only group not to have disarmed after Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war, and it fought Israeli troops who occupied southern Lebanon until 2000.

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah has denied the involvement of his powerful Shiite movement in the Beirut explosion that killed more than 150 people. The blast injured at least 5,000 people and devastated entire districts of the capital, leaving some 300,000 people temporarily homeless.

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah has denied the involvement of his powerful Shiite movement in the Beirut explosion that killed more than 150 people. The blast injured at least 5,000 people and devastated entire districts of the capital, leaving some 300,000 people temporarily homeless. Nasrallah said they had not stored arms at Beirut's port, describing the cataclysmic explosion there as "a major tragedy". "We have nothing in the port: not an arms depot, nor a missile depot nor missiles nor rifles nor bombs nor bullets nor (ammonium) nitrate," Nasrallah said in a televised speech three days after the blast in the Lebanese capital. He called the explosion a "major tragedy and humanitarian catastrophe," saying it required a kind of response that would match its "exceptional" scale. An investigation by authorities has so far led to 21 arrests, as well as travel bans and asset freezes. Authorities had said a fire at the port had ignited tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored there for years, but President Michel Aoun said Friday it could have been caused by an attack. The Hezbollah leader warned against delays in the probe, saying: "If the Lebanese state and the political class... do not reach a conclusion in the investigations this means... there is no hope to build a state." Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday made a snap, but influential, visit to Beirut, where he pressed leaders for change and announced an international aid conference in the coming days. He met with several Lebanese leaders, including Hezbollah representatives on his one-day trip. Hezbollah is the only group not to have disarmed after Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war, and it fought Israeli troops who occupied southern Lebanon until 2000.

Lebanon's Hezbollah leader denies storing arms at Beirut blast site

The massive blast in Beirut has dealt a major blow to the already battered economy of Lebanon. The blast will cause a 15 billion dollar loss to the once-thriving trading country. Watch report.

Massive blast deals a fresh blow to Lebanon's economy | World News

Four days after a massive explosion at the port in Beirut left more than 150 people dead, more than 60 people are still missing, a health ministry official said Saturday.

Four days after a massive explosion at the port in Beirut left more than 150 people dead, more than 60 people are still missing, a health ministry official said Saturday. "The number of dead is 154, including 25 who have not yet been identified," the official told AFP. "In addition, we have more than 60 people still missing." Also read: Anti-government protests break out in Beirut; security forces fire tear gas The health minister said on Friday that at least 120 of the 5,000 people who were injured on Tuesday are in critical condition. The anger over Tuesday's explosion rose after the revelation that a large shipment of dangerous ammonium nitrate fertiliser had been stored for years in a warehouse. However, it remains unclear how the shipment caught fire. Also read | Beirut's accidental cargo: How an unscheduled port visit led to disaster Teams from France, Russia, Germany, Italy and other countries are still carrying out rescue work near the site of the explosion. The deadly blast has further deteriorated the already battering economic situation of Lebanon and led to a number of international aids.

More than 60 still missing after Beirut massive explosion: Health ministry

<section>
Israel's offer of humanitarian aid to Lebanon after the massive Beirut blast is unlikely to be taken up.

Israel on Friday offered aid and support to Lebanon following Tuesday's&nbsp;devastating port explosion in Beirut, a quick turn of sentiment after a recent exchange of attacks with Lebanese militants along a tense border in recent days.

The two neighbours are still technically at war, have no diplomatic ties and mutual suspicion, even animosity, defines their relations.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/satellite-images-capture-beirut-before-vs-after-devastating-blast-318562">Satellite images capture Beirut before vs after devastating blast</a>

As Beirut reeled Tuesday after the monster blast at the port ripped across the city, many eyes were on Israel.

The military initially offered a traditional "no comment" to queries about the possible source of the explosion, until later a government source added: "Israel has nothing to do with this incident". Hours later the government offered humanitarian aid to Lebanon.

"Israel has turned to Lebanon through international security and political contacts to offer humanitarian and medical aid to the Lebanese government," a statement said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-rare-show-of-support-israeli-square-bathed-in-lebanese-colors-over-beirut-blast-318473">In rare show of support, Israeli square bathed in Lebanese colors over Beirut blast</a>

As Beirut hospitals became overwhelmed by the influx of thousands of injured, Lebanon's government did not comment.

Aid has been streaming in from elsewhere, including from former power France and Iran, an ally of Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah movement and key Israeli rival.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/lebanons-hezbollah-leader-denies-storing-arms-at-beirut-blast-site-318967" hreflang="en">Lebanon's Hezbollah leader denies storing arms at Beirut blast site</a>

Israel and Hezbollah last fought a 33-day war in the summer of 2006 that devastated parts of the Lebanese capital and killed hundreds.

Government and diplomatic sources in Jerusalem say Israel has tried unsuccessfully since Tuesday to send medical equipment to Lebanon via the United Nations, which monitors a buffer zone between the two countries.

Israel even sought to dispatch medical personnel to Cyprus, where Beirut victims could be treated, according to the sources.

"It is a very human gesture," Amos Yadlin, former head of Israeli military intelligence, told reporters. "It is a gesture that can bring the two nations together."

Yadlin blamed Hezbollah's backers in Tehran for the continuing air of hostility between Israel and Lebanon, insisting there was "no real dispute" between the neighbours.

"The only reason that there is no peace between Israel and Lebanon is the fact that Iran took over this small country through its proxy Hezbollah and they are inventing excuses to keep the conflict going," he claimed.

In Beirut, many have bitter memories of Israel's invasion of Lebanon in 1982, its occupation of the country's south until 2000 and the 2006 war that killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians.

The fate of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees stuck in Lebanon for decades after fleeing or being driven out of their homes in waves following Israel's creation in 1948 is another thorny issue.

Longstanding demands for their return has remained a sticking point.

Traumatised by the blast that devastated their capital killing more than 150 people, injuring at least 5,000 and leaving some 300,000 homeless, the Lebanese paid little attention to Israel's offer, other than to ridicule it.&nbsp;
</section>

Israel's offer of humanitarian aid to Lebanon after the massive Beirut blast is unlikely to be taken up. Israel on Friday offered aid and support to Lebanon following Tuesday's devastating port explosion in Beirut, a quick turn of sentiment after a recent exchange of attacks with Lebanese militants along a tense border in recent days.

Israel's offer of humanitarian aid to Lebanon after the massive Beirut blast is unlikely to be taken up. Israel on Friday offered aid and support to Lebanon following Tuesday's devastating port explosion in Beirut, a quick turn of sentiment after a recent exchange of attacks with Lebanese militants along a tense border in recent days. The two neighbours are still technically at war, have no diplomatic ties and mutual suspicion, even animosity, defines their relations. Also see: Satellite images capture Beirut before vs after devastating blast As Beirut reeled Tuesday after the monster blast at the port ripped across the city, many eyes were on Israel. The military initially offered a traditional "no comment" to queries about the possible source of the explosion, until later a government source added: "Israel has nothing to do with this incident". Hours later the government offered humanitarian aid to Lebanon. "Israel has turned to Lebanon through international security and political contacts to offer humanitarian and medical aid to the Lebanese government," a statement said. Also read: In rare show of support, Israeli square bathed in Lebanese colors over Beirut blast As Beirut hospitals became overwhelmed by the influx of thousands of injured, Lebanon's government did not comment. Aid has been streaming in from elsewhere, including from former power France and Iran, an ally of Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah movement and key Israeli rival. Also read: Lebanon's Hezbollah leader denies storing arms at Beirut blast site Israel and Hezbollah last fought a 33-day war in the summer of 2006 that devastated parts of the Lebanese capital and killed hundreds. Government and diplomatic sources in Jerusalem say Israel has tried unsuccessfully since Tuesday to send medical equipment to Lebanon via the United Nations, which monitors a buffer zone between the two countries. Israel even sought to dispatch medical personnel to Cyprus, where Beirut victims could be treated, according to the sources. "It is a very human gesture," Amos Yadlin, former head of Israeli military intelligence, told reporters. "It is a gesture that can bring the two nations together." Yadlin blamed Hezbollah's backers in Tehran for the continuing air of hostility between Israel and Lebanon, insisting there was "no real dispute" between the neighbours. "The only reason that there is no peace between Israel and Lebanon is the fact that Iran took over this small country through its proxy Hezbollah and they are inventing excuses to keep the conflict going," he claimed. In Beirut, many have bitter memories of Israel's invasion of Lebanon in 1982, its occupation of the country's south until 2000 and the 2006 war that killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians. The fate of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees stuck in Lebanon for decades after fleeing or being driven out of their homes in waves following Israel's creation in 1948 is another thorny issue. Longstanding demands for their return has remained a sticking point. Traumatised by the blast that devastated their capital killing more than 150 people, injuring at least 5,000 and leaving some 300,000 homeless, the Lebanese paid little attention to Israel's offer, other than to ridicule it.

Rival Israel's aid offer to Lebanon in wake of explosion, unlikely to find a taker

A petition calling for France to take control of Lebanon has got more than 50,000 signatures. This appeal is supported by the citizens of Lebanon - who are blaming their government for the Beirut blasts. WION's Palki Sharma tells you why Lebanese people want another country to take over their government.

Gravitas: Beirut blasts | Lebanese People call on France to takeover Lebanon

A day before the port blast that killed more than 150 people and ravaged parts of Beirut, the country's Foreign Minister&nbsp;Nassif Hitti&nbsp;resigned after&nbsp;warning that it&nbsp;is ''siding towards becoming a failed state''.

The&nbsp;doomsday prediction&nbsp;began taking shape within hours and came true a day later. The blast zone is now a wasteland of blackened ruins, while whole neighbourhoods were largely destroyed.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun said Friday the explosion&nbsp;was caused either by negligence or a missile attack.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/satellite-images-capture-beirut-before-vs-after-devastating-blast-318562">Satellite images capture Beirut before vs after devastating blast</a>

It could have been "negligence or foreign interference through a missile or bomb," the president said in a televised interview, three days after the explosion.

He&nbsp;rejected calls for an international probe&nbsp;after world leaders and Lebanese nationals abroad and at home pressed for an impartial investigation.

However, experts believe that the incident was&nbsp;designed by years of dysfunction, corruption and incompetence.

It is a warning for the rest of the world as well as the&nbsp;disaster could happen anywhere.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/explosion-decimates-beiruts-port-disrupting-the-struggling-countrys-lifeline-318312">Explosion decimates Beirut's port, disrupting the struggling country's lifeline</a>

The storage of&nbsp;ammonium&nbsp;nitrate, the substance behind the deadly explosion in the port of Beirut on Tuesday, has come under increased regulation in recent years to avoid involvement of the ubiquitous product in accidents which, although rare, can be devastating.&nbsp;Since 1916, it&nbsp;has been responsible for at least 30 major disasters.

What happened in Beirut was criminal negligence. It was a bomb that waited to go off for almost seven years and nobody bothered to defuse it.

The explosive ammonium nitrate arrived in Lebanon seven years ago, in 2013. Lebanese custom officials requested for the cargo’s disposal at least six times. But no one paid heed. It's as if they wanted this disaster to happen.

While corruption and incompetence is a deadly mix, adding&nbsp;ammonium nitrate makes it a ticking bomb waiting to explode.

Almost 700 tonnes of&nbsp;ammonium&nbsp;nitrate&nbsp;has been stuck in an Indian port since 2015, officials confirmed.

Indian authorities afterwards ordered a review of all potentially hazardous materials in its ports and were alerted to 690 tonnes of&nbsp;ammonium&nbsp;nitrate&nbsp;in Chennai in southern India.

Thirty-seven containers of the compound were imported from South Korea in 2015 by an Indian firm for use in fertilisers but were seized after the substance was found to be explosives-grade.

The local customs department on Thursday sought to allay concerns, saying that the chemicals posed no danger and that an auction process to sell it off was under way.

Although the mega-explosion happened in Beirut but entire Lebanon is now in ruins.

This a grim reminder for the world how corruption and incompetence created the perfect highway to hell.

A day before the port blast that killed more than 150 people and ravaged parts of Beirut, the country's Foreign Minister Nassif Hitti resigned after warning that it is ''siding towards becoming a failed state''.

A day before the port blast that killed more than 150 people and ravaged parts of Beirut, the country's Foreign Minister Nassif Hitti resigned after warning that it is ''siding towards becoming a failed state''. The doomsday prediction began taking shape within hours and came true a day later. The blast zone is now a wasteland of blackened ruins, while whole neighbourhoods were largely destroyed. Lebanese President Michel Aoun said Friday the explosion was caused either by negligence or a missile attack. Also see: Satellite images capture Beirut before vs after devastating blast It could have been "negligence or foreign interference through a missile or bomb," the president said in a televised interview, three days after the explosion. He rejected calls for an international probe after world leaders and Lebanese nationals abroad and at home pressed for an impartial investigation. However, experts believe that the incident was designed by years of dysfunction, corruption and incompetence. It is a warning for the rest of the world as well as the disaster could happen anywhere. Also see: Explosion decimates Beirut's port, disrupting the struggling country's lifeline The storage of ammonium nitrate, the substance behind the deadly explosion in the port of Beirut on Tuesday, has come under increased regulation in recent years to avoid involvement of the ubiquitous product in accidents which, although rare, can be devastating. Since 1916, it has been responsible for at least 30 major disasters. What happened in Beirut was criminal negligence. It was a bomb that waited to go off for almost seven years and nobody bothered to defuse it. The explosive ammonium nitrate arrived in Lebanon seven years ago, in 2013. Lebanese custom officials requested for the cargo’s disposal at least six times. But no one paid heed. It's as if they wanted this disaster to happen. While corruption and incompetence is a deadly mix, adding ammonium nitrate makes it a ticking bomb waiting to explode. Almost 700 tonnes of ammonium nitrate has been stuck in an Indian port since 2015, officials confirmed. Indian authorities afterwards ordered a review of all potentially hazardous materials in its ports and were alerted to 690 tonnes of ammonium nitrate in Chennai in southern India. Thirty-seven containers of the compound were imported from South Korea in 2015 by an Indian firm for use in fertilisers but were seized after the substance was found to be explosives-grade. The local customs department on Thursday sought to allay concerns, saying that the chemicals posed no danger and that an auction process to sell it off was under way. Although the mega-explosion happened in Beirut but entire Lebanon is now in ruins. This a grim reminder for the world how corruption and incompetence created the perfect highway to hell.

How years of dysfunction, corruption and incompetence led to Beirut explosion

The chemicals that went up in flames in Beirut's deadliest peace-time explosion arrived in the Lebanese capital seven years ago on a leaky Russian-leased cargo ship that, according to its captain, should never have stopped there.

"They were being greedy," said Boris Prokoshev, who was captain of the Rhosus in 2013 when he says the owner told him to make an unscheduled stop in Lebanon to pick up extra cargo.

Prokoshev said the ship was carrying 2,750 tonnes of a highly combustible chemical from Georgia to Mozambique when the order came to divert to Beirut on its way through the Mediterranean.

The crew were asked to load some heavy road equipment and take it to Jordan's Port of Aqaba before resuming their journey onto Africa, where the ammonium nitrate was to be delivered to an explosives manufacturer.

But the ship was never to leave Beirut, having tried and failed to safely load the additional cargo before becoming embroiled in a lengthy legal dispute over port fees.

"It was impossible," Prokoshev, 70, told Reuters of the operation to try and load the extra cargo. "It could have ruined the whole ship and I said no," he said by 'phone from his home in the Russian resort town of Sochi on the Black Sea coast.

The captain and lawyers acting for some creditors accused the ship's owner of abandoning the vessel and succeeded in having it arrested. Months later, for safety reasons, the ammonium nitrate was unloaded and put in a dock warehouse.

On Tuesday, that stockpile caught fire and exploded not far from a built-up residential area of the city. The huge blast killed 145 people, injured 5,000, flattened buildings and made more than a quarter of a million people homeless.

The ship might have succeeded in leaving Beirut, had it managed to load the additional cargo.

The crew had stacked the equipment, including excavators and road-rollers, on top of the doors to the cargo hold which held the ammonium nitrate below, according to the ship's Ukrainian boatswain, Boris Musinchak. But the hold doors buckled.

"The ship was old and the cover of the hold bent," Musinchak said by 'phone. "We decided not to take risks." 
The captain and three crew spent 11 months on the ship while the legal dispute dragged on, without wages and with only limited supplies of food. Once they left, the ammonium nitrate was unloaded.

"The cargo was highly explosive. That's why it was kept on board when we were there ... That ammonium nitrate had a very high concentration," Prokoshev said.

BOUND FOR MOZAMBIQUE

Prokoshev identified the ship's owner as Russian businessman Igor Grechushkin. Attempts to contact Grechushkin were unsuccessful.

Cypriot police questioned Grechushkin at his home in Cyprus on Thursday, a security source said. A Cyprus police spokesman said an individual, whom he did not name, had been questioned at the request of Interpol Beirut in relation to the cargo.

The ammonium nitrate was sold by Georgian fertiliser maker Rustavi Azot LLC, and was to be delivered to a Mozambique explosives maker, Fabrica de Explosivos.

A senior representative for Fabrica de Explosivos did not immediately respond when sent a request for comment on LinkedIn.

Levan Burdiladze, the Rustavi Azot plant director, told Reuters that his company had only operated the chemical factory for the last three years and so he could not confirm whether the ammonium nitrate was produced there.

He called the decision to store the material in Beirut port a "gross violation of safe storage measures, considering that ammonium nitrate loses its useful properties in six months."

Initial Lebanese investigations into what happened have pointed to inaction and negligence in the handling of the potentially dangerous chemical.

Lebanon's cabinet on Wednesday agreed to place all Beirut port officials who have overseen storage and security since 2014 under house arrest, ministerial sources said.

The head of Beirut port and the head of customs said that several letters were sent to the judiciary asking for the material be removed, but no action was taken.

Reuters could not immediately reach Lebanon's justice minister for comment. The Justice Ministry is closed for three days of national mourning.

According to Prokoshev, the ship had been leaking but was seaworthy when it sailed into Beirut in September 2013. However, he said Lebanese authorities paid little attention to the ammonium nitrate, which had been stacked in the hull in large sacks.

"I feel sorry for the people (killed or injured in the blast). But local authorities, the Lebanese, should be punished. They did not care about the cargo at all," he said.

The abandoned Rhosus sank where she was moored in Beirut harbour, according to a May, 2018 email from a lawyer to Prokoshev, which said it had gone down "recently". 
&nbsp;

The chemicals that went up in flames in Beirut's deadliest peace-time explosion arrived in the Lebanese capital seven years ago on a leaky Russian-leased cargo ship that, according to its captain, should never have stopped there.

The chemicals that went up in flames in Beirut's deadliest peace-time explosion arrived in the Lebanese capital seven years ago on a leaky Russian-leased cargo ship that, according to its captain, should never have stopped there. "They were being greedy," said Boris Prokoshev, who was captain of the Rhosus in 2013 when he says the owner told him to make an unscheduled stop in Lebanon to pick up extra cargo. Prokoshev said the ship was carrying 2,750 tonnes of a highly combustible chemical from Georgia to Mozambique when the order came to divert to Beirut on its way through the Mediterranean. The crew were asked to load some heavy road equipment and take it to Jordan's Port of Aqaba before resuming their journey onto Africa, where the ammonium nitrate was to be delivered to an explosives manufacturer. But the ship was never to leave Beirut, having tried and failed to safely load the additional cargo before becoming embroiled in a lengthy legal dispute over port fees. "It was impossible," Prokoshev, 70, told Reuters of the operation to try and load the extra cargo. "It could have ruined the whole ship and I said no," he said by 'phone from his home in the Russian resort town of Sochi on the Black Sea coast. The captain and lawyers acting for some creditors accused the ship's owner of abandoning the vessel and succeeded in having it arrested. Months later, for safety reasons, the ammonium nitrate was unloaded and put in a dock warehouse. On Tuesday, that stockpile caught fire and exploded not far from a built-up residential area of the city. The huge blast killed 145 people, injured 5,000, flattened buildings and made more than a quarter of a million people homeless. The ship might have succeeded in leaving Beirut, had it managed to load the additional cargo. The crew had stacked the equipment, including excavators and road-rollers, on top of the doors to the cargo hold which held the ammonium nitrate below, according to the ship's Ukrainian boatswain, Boris Musinchak. But the hold doors buckled. "The ship was old and the cover of the hold bent," Musinchak said by 'phone. "We decided not to take risks." The captain and three crew spent 11 months on the ship while the legal dispute dragged on, without wages and with only limited supplies of food. Once they left, the ammonium nitrate was unloaded. "The cargo was highly explosive. That's why it was kept on board when we were there ... That ammonium nitrate had a very high concentration," Prokoshev said. BOUND FOR MOZAMBIQUE Prokoshev identified the ship's owner as Russian businessman Igor Grechushkin. Attempts to contact Grechushkin were unsuccessful. Cypriot police questioned Grechushkin at his home in Cyprus on Thursday, a security source said. A Cyprus police spokesman said an individual, whom he did not name, had been questioned at the request of Interpol Beirut in relation to the cargo. The ammonium nitrate was sold by Georgian fertiliser maker Rustavi Azot LLC, and was to be delivered to a Mozambique explosives maker, Fabrica de Explosivos. A senior representative for Fabrica de Explosivos did not immediately respond when sent a request for comment on LinkedIn. Levan Burdiladze, the Rustavi Azot plant director, told Reuters that his company had only operated the chemical factory for the last three years and so he could not confirm whether the ammonium nitrate was produced there. He called the decision to store the material in Beirut port a "gross violation of safe storage measures, considering that ammonium nitrate loses its useful properties in six months." Initial Lebanese investigations into what happened have pointed to inaction and negligence in the handling of the potentially dangerous chemical. Lebanon's cabinet on Wednesday agreed to place all Beirut port officials who have overseen storage and security since 2014 under house arrest, ministerial sources said. The head of Beirut port and the head of customs said that several letters were sent to the judiciary asking for the material be removed, but no action was taken. Reuters could not immediately reach Lebanon's justice minister for comment. The Justice Ministry is closed for three days of national mourning. According to Prokoshev, the ship had been leaking but was seaworthy when it sailed into Beirut in September 2013. However, he said Lebanese authorities paid little attention to the ammonium nitrate, which had been stacked in the hull in large sacks. "I feel sorry for the people (killed or injured in the blast). But local authorities, the Lebanese, should be punished. They did not care about the cargo at all," he said. The abandoned Rhosus sank where she was moored in Beirut harbour, according to a May, 2018 email from a lawyer to Prokoshev, which said it had gone down "recently".

Beirut's accidental cargo: How an unscheduled port visit led to disaster

It has been 72 hours since a massive explosion rocked the city of Beirut. Pictures from the city sent shockwaves around the world. What's happening on the ground? WION gets you the first ground report from Beirut.

Gravitas: Beirut blasts | First ground report on WION

The US army will send shipments of water, food and medicine to Lebanon in wake of the massive explosion that left Beirut devastated with hundreds of thousands homeless.

Deliveries of three C-17 military planes loaded with food, water and medical supplies were "impending," an official said.

The US was ready to continue providing assistance to the Lebanese during the "terrible tragedy" in partnership with the Lebanese army, the US embassy in Lebanon and the US international aid agency, USAID, said on Thursday.

Meanwhile, public anger in Lebanon is on the boil over the blast caused by a massive pile of ammonium nitrate that had for years lain in a ramshackle portside warehouse. It left at least 137 dead and 5,000 injured, and hundreds of thousands of people homeless.

The fallout is expected to cost billions in a small country already plunged into an unprecedented economic and social crisis, battling the coronavirus, and where almost half of the inhabitants live in poverty.

The US army will send shipments of water, food and medicine to Lebanon in wake of the massive explosion that left Beirut devastated with hundreds of thousands homeless.

The US army will send shipments of water, food and medicine to Lebanon in wake of the massive explosion that left Beirut devastated with hundreds of thousands homeless. Deliveries of three C-17 military planes loaded with food, water and medical supplies were "impending," an official said. The US was ready to continue providing assistance to the Lebanese during the "terrible tragedy" in partnership with the Lebanese army, the US embassy in Lebanon and the US international aid agency, USAID, said on Thursday. Meanwhile, public anger in Lebanon is on the boil over the blast caused by a massive pile of ammonium nitrate that had for years lain in a ramshackle portside warehouse. It left at least 137 dead and 5,000 injured, and hundreds of thousands of people homeless. The fallout is expected to cost billions in a small country already plunged into an unprecedented economic and social crisis, battling the coronavirus, and where almost half of the inhabitants live in poverty.

US army to deliver relief supplies to Beirut after devastation

A massive explosion ripped through the city of Beirut in Lebanon. Protesters are now out on the streets protesting against this massive disaster. Watch report.

Lebanon Blast Aftermath: Protesters take to the streets of Beirut

Satellite images capture Beirut before vs after devastating blast

Two days after the horrific explosion that killed over 130 people in Beirut, serious concerns have been raised now about tonnes of chemical explosives that have been stored in a private container near Chennai. Watch report.

WION Dispatch: Beirut like facility found in Tamil Nadu, Tonnes of explosive chemicals in Chennai

Lebanon is coming to terms with a massive explosion at the port of Beirut that has killed at least 137 people and injured more than 5000. The death toll is rising consistently as the Lebanese rescue team pulls more and more bodies from under the rubble. Watch report.

Fineprint: At least 137 dead & 5,000 injured in Beirut Blast, Quarter of a million people homeless

Israel announced Tuesday night that it had reached out to offer humanitarian help to Lebanon after a massive blast rocked Beirut, killing at least 100 and leaving large parts of the capital in ruins.

Beirut Blasts: Unprecedented show of solidarity by Lebanon's rival, pledges humanitarian aid amid hard times

The devastation wrought by the massive explosion in Beirut can be clearly seen in the images provided by satellites.

A SkySat spacecraft, operated by San Francisco-based company Planet, captured detailed imagery of the port of Beirut both before and after the blast.

A Colorado-based space technology company, Maxar, also shared pictures snapped by its satellites.&nbsp;

<img alt="Crater, as captured by a satellite" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1d4c1564-d270-4ce6-b621-26af1f6fe77a" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/crater.jpg" />

These satellite images show a massive crater at the site of Tuesday's explosion in Beirut's port. The images show nearly every building has either sustained significant damage or has been destroyed by the blast. Some barely have their framework still standing and others have been reduced to rubble.

A large, water-filled crater has replaced the ground where two port buildings stood.

Damage from the explosion reached a peninsula directly east of the blast site. Not only has a building there been blown away, but a boat in front of it appears to have been blown onto its side.

<img alt="Destroyed Silo" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c87e426c-7f2d-44f7-9b90-29655c3af639" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/destroyed-silo-1200x774.jpg" />

According to Lebanon Prime Minister Hassan Diab, 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, exploded on Tuesday.

The blast created a huge mushroom cloud and shockwave that was felt as far away as Cyprus, about 150 miles away. It registered as a magnitude 3.3 earthquake.

The devastation wrought by the massive explosion in Beirut can be clearly seen in the images provided by satellites. A SkySat spacecraft, operated by San Francisco-based company Planet, captured detailed imagery of the port of Beirut both before and after the blast.

The devastation wrought by the massive explosion in Beirut can be clearly seen in the images provided by satellites. A SkySat spacecraft, operated by San Francisco-based company Planet, captured detailed imagery of the port of Beirut both before and after the blast. A Colorado-based space technology company, Maxar, also shared pictures snapped by its satellites. These satellite images show a massive crater at the site of Tuesday's explosion in Beirut's port. The images show nearly every building has either sustained significant damage or has been destroyed by the blast. Some barely have their framework still standing and others have been reduced to rubble. A large, water-filled crater has replaced the ground where two port buildings stood. Damage from the explosion reached a peninsula directly east of the blast site. Not only has a building there been blown away, but a boat in front of it appears to have been blown onto its side. According to Lebanon Prime Minister Hassan Diab, 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, exploded on Tuesday. The blast created a huge mushroom cloud and shockwave that was felt as far away as Cyprus, about 150 miles away. It registered as a magnitude 3.3 earthquake.

Beirut explosion created massive crater at port, satellite imagery shows

The Tel Aviv municipality lit up City Hall with the Lebanese flag in solidarity with the people of Beirut after Tuesday's devastating explosion.

Tel Aviv residents moved by Lebanon flag display

Countries dispatched&nbsp;emergency&nbsp;medical&nbsp;aid, field hospitals, rescue experts and tracking dogs to Lebanon Wednesday as the world reacts swiftly to a vast Beirut explosion in a nation already close to economic collapse.

The blast centred on the city's port caused massive destruction and killed at least 135&nbsp;people, heaping misery on a country in crisis.

Gulf&nbsp;states were among the first to respond, with Qatar sending mobile hospitals to ease pressure on Lebanon's medical system, strained by the coronavirus pandemic.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/beirut-blasts-death-toll-climbs-to-at-least-135-three-day-mourning-declared-318461">Beirut blasts death toll climbs to at least 135; three-day mourning declared</a>

A Qatari air force plane delivered hundreds of collapsible beds, generators and burn sheets in the first of a convoy of flights to Beirut.

Kuwait also sent medical supplies as the Lebanese Red Cross said more than 4,000 people were being treated for injuries after the explosion, which sent glass shards and debris flying.

A Greek C-130 army transport plane bearing a dozen rescuers landed at Beirut's airport, itself damaged in the catastrophic blast.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/explosion-decimates-beiruts-port-disrupting-the-struggling-countrys-lifeline-318312">Explosion decimates Beirut's port, disrupting the struggling country's lifeline</a>

Algeria said it would send four planes and a ship with humanitarian&nbsp;aid, medical teams, firefighters, supplies and construction materials.

Lebanon's Prime Minister Hassan Diab has called on "friendly countries" to support a nation reeling from its worst economic crisis in decades as well as a coronavirus outbreak that has infected over 5,000 people and killed 68.

As&nbsp;emergency&nbsp;crews hauled survivors from the rubble of demolished buildings, France said it was sending search and rescue experts aboard three military planes loaded with a mobile clinic and tonnes of medical and sanitary supplies.

President Emmanuel Macron is to travel to Lebanon on Thursday, the first world leader to do so after the disaster, as France seeks to swiftly push reconstruction in its former colony.

"France is at the side of Lebanon. Always," Macron tweeted in Arabic.

Prosecutors in France also opened an investigation into the blast, which wounded 21 French citizens.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II sent a message to the president of Lebanon, saying she was "deeply saddened" by the blast.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in a phone call with Diab, offered Washington's assistance and stressed "our solidarity with and support for the Lebanese people as they strive for the dignity, prosperity and security they deserve".

Cyprus, parts of which felt the blast roughly 240 kilometres, said it was sending eight police tracking dogs and their handlers aboard two helicopters.

From Europe, authorities in the Netherlands, Czech Republic and Poland offered an array of assistance including doctors, police and firefighters, together with rescue experts and sniffer dogs.

Italy said it had sent 14 firefighters specialised in assessing chemical risks and damaged structures to provide technical support.

President Hassan Rouhani of Iran, itself battling the Middle East's deadliest coronavirus outbreak, said Tehran stood "ready to offer medical and medicinal&nbsp;aid&nbsp;and help treat the injured".

The World Health Organization said it was sending trauma and surgical kits from its Dubai base after the "shocking event" that comes at a "particularly difficult time in Lebanon".

"Many hospitals are overwhelmed with casualties and people are still looking for the injured and the dead, so it's a very sad day," said the UN agency's emergencies director Michael Ryan.

In a statement, the World Bank Group said it "stands ready to deploy its expertise to undertake a rapid damage and needs assessment and to develop a reconstruction plan as per international standards."

Unusually, neighbouring Israel offered humanitarian&nbsp;aid&nbsp;-- to a country with which it is still technically at war -- via international intermediaries.

In the coastal city of Tel Aviv, Lebanon's flag was projected onto the city hall on Wednesday evening.

Countries dispatched emergency medical aid, field hospitals, rescue experts and tracking dogs to Lebanon Wednesday as the world reacts swiftly to a vast Beirut explosion in a nation already close to economic collapse.

Countries dispatched emergency medical aid, field hospitals, rescue experts and tracking dogs to Lebanon Wednesday as the world reacts swiftly to a vast Beirut explosion in a nation already close to economic collapse. The blast centred on the city's port caused massive destruction and killed at least 135 people, heaping misery on a country in crisis. Gulf states were among the first to respond, with Qatar sending mobile hospitals to ease pressure on Lebanon's medical system, strained by the coronavirus pandemic. Also read: Beirut blasts death toll climbs to at least 135; three-day mourning declared A Qatari air force plane delivered hundreds of collapsible beds, generators and burn sheets in the first of a convoy of flights to Beirut. Kuwait also sent medical supplies as the Lebanese Red Cross said more than 4,000 people were being treated for injuries after the explosion, which sent glass shards and debris flying. A Greek C-130 army transport plane bearing a dozen rescuers landed at Beirut's airport, itself damaged in the catastrophic blast. Also see: Explosion decimates Beirut's port, disrupting the struggling country's lifeline Algeria said it would send four planes and a ship with humanitarian aid, medical teams, firefighters, supplies and construction materials. Lebanon's Prime Minister Hassan Diab has called on "friendly countries" to support a nation reeling from its worst economic crisis in decades as well as a coronavirus outbreak that has infected over 5,000 people and killed 68. As emergency crews hauled survivors from the rubble of demolished buildings, France said it was sending search and rescue experts aboard three military planes loaded with a mobile clinic and tonnes of medical and sanitary supplies. President Emmanuel Macron is to travel to Lebanon on Thursday, the first world leader to do so after the disaster, as France seeks to swiftly push reconstruction in its former colony. "France is at the side of Lebanon. Always," Macron tweeted in Arabic. Prosecutors in France also opened an investigation into the blast, which wounded 21 French citizens. Britain's Queen Elizabeth II sent a message to the president of Lebanon, saying she was "deeply saddened" by the blast. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in a phone call with Diab, offered Washington's assistance and stressed "our solidarity with and support for the Lebanese people as they strive for the dignity, prosperity and security they deserve". Cyprus, parts of which felt the blast roughly 240 kilometres, said it was sending eight police tracking dogs and their handlers aboard two helicopters. From Europe, authorities in the Netherlands, Czech Republic and Poland offered an array of assistance including doctors, police and firefighters, together with rescue experts and sniffer dogs. Italy said it had sent 14 firefighters specialised in assessing chemical risks and damaged structures to provide technical support. President Hassan Rouhani of Iran, itself battling the Middle East's deadliest coronavirus outbreak, said Tehran stood "ready to offer medical and medicinal aid and help treat the injured". The World Health Organization said it was sending trauma and surgical kits from its Dubai base after the "shocking event" that comes at a "particularly difficult time in Lebanon". "Many hospitals are overwhelmed with casualties and people are still looking for the injured and the dead, so it's a very sad day," said the UN agency's emergencies director Michael Ryan. In a statement, the World Bank Group said it "stands ready to deploy its expertise to undertake a rapid damage and needs assessment and to develop a reconstruction plan as per international standards." Unusually, neighbouring Israel offered humanitarian aid -- to a country with which it is still technically at war -- via international intermediaries. In the coastal city of Tel Aviv, Lebanon's flag was projected onto the city hall on Wednesday evening.

Beirut blast: Emergency aid lands in Lebanon as world offers support

The blast killed at least 135 people and injured more than 4,000 others. A two-week state of emergency has begun.

Lebanon Blast: At least 135 dead & 5,000 injured | Quarter of a million people homeless | World News

The red, white and cedar green of the Lebanese flag were lit up over a Tel Aviv square on Wednesday in a rare show of Israeli solidarity with Beirut as it reels from a devastating explosion.

Israel has been in a technical state of war with Lebanon for generations, and it deems the country's armed Shi'ite Muslim group Hezbollah, backed by Iran, the biggest threat across its northern border.

Israel and Hezbollah fought a month-long war in 2006 and have traded fire again in recent weeks. But, arguing that "humanity comes before any conflict", Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai ordered City Hall on Rabin Square, named for the late Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, to be illuminated with the Lebanese flag on Wednesday evening.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/explosion-decimates-beiruts-port-disrupting-the-struggling-countrys-lifeline-318312">Explosion decimates Beirut's port, disrupting the struggling country's lifeline</a>

At nightfall, windows on the 13-storey building's facade were filled with light in the design of Lebanon's flag: two horizontal red stripes enveloping a wider band of white, with a large green cedar tree,&nbsp;Lebanon's national symbol,&nbsp;at the centre.

The decision drew criticism from some Israelis, including cabinet minister Rafael Peretz, who on Twitter likened it to "raising (an) enemy state's flag in the heart of Tel Aviv".

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/beirut-blasts-death-toll-climbs-to-at-least-135-three-day-mourning-declared-318461">Beirut blasts death toll climbs to at least 135; three-day mourning declared</a>

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had offered aid to Lebanon after the massive warehouse explosion in the port district of the capital Beirut on Tuesday that killed at least 135 people and injured over 5,000.

Lebanon has not responded to the overture, according to an Israeli defence official, who suggested that Israel with U.N. support could "set up and operate field hospitals on our side of the border and admit casualties from Lebanon".

In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas declared Wednesday a day of mourning and ordered Palestinian flags in the territory lowered to half mast in solidarity with Lebanon. While in Gaza, dozens lit candles to pay tribute to the victims of the blast.

Tuesday's blast at port warehouses storing highly explosive material was the most powerful in years in Beirut, already reeling from an economic crisis and a surge in coronavirus infections. At least 100 people were killed and nearly 4,000 injured.

The red, white and cedar green of the Lebanese flag were lit up over a Tel Aviv square on Wednesday in a rare show of Israeli solidarity with Beirut as it reels from a devastating explosion.

The red, white and cedar green of the Lebanese flag were lit up over a Tel Aviv square on Wednesday in a rare show of Israeli solidarity with Beirut as it reels from a devastating explosion. Israel has been in a technical state of war with Lebanon for generations, and it deems the country's armed Shi'ite Muslim group Hezbollah, backed by Iran, the biggest threat across its northern border. Israel and Hezbollah fought a month-long war in 2006 and have traded fire again in recent weeks. But, arguing that "humanity comes before any conflict", Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai ordered City Hall on Rabin Square, named for the late Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, to be illuminated with the Lebanese flag on Wednesday evening. Also see: Explosion decimates Beirut's port, disrupting the struggling country's lifeline At nightfall, windows on the 13-storey building's facade were filled with light in the design of Lebanon's flag: two horizontal red stripes enveloping a wider band of white, with a large green cedar tree, Lebanon's national symbol, at the centre. The decision drew criticism from some Israelis, including cabinet minister Rafael Peretz, who on Twitter likened it to "raising (an) enemy state's flag in the heart of Tel Aviv". Also read: Beirut blasts death toll climbs to at least 135; three-day mourning declared Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had offered aid to Lebanon after the massive warehouse explosion in the port district of the capital Beirut on Tuesday that killed at least 135 people and injured over 5,000. Lebanon has not responded to the overture, according to an Israeli defence official, who suggested that Israel with U.N. support could "set up and operate field hospitals on our side of the border and admit casualties from Lebanon". In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas declared Wednesday a day of mourning and ordered Palestinian flags in the territory lowered to half mast in solidarity with Lebanon. While in Gaza, dozens lit candles to pay tribute to the victims of the blast. Tuesday's blast at port warehouses storing highly explosive material was the most powerful in years in Beirut, already reeling from an economic crisis and a surge in coronavirus infections. At least 100 people were killed and nearly 4,000 injured.

In rare show of support, Israeli square bathed in Lebanese colors over Beirut blast

The blasts in Beirut has taken at least 100 lives. This calamity couldn't have come at the worst time. With an economic crisis looming large - tensions are also high in Lebanon ahead of a verdict in a trial over the killing of ex-Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. WION's Palki Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas: Five videos tell the tale of Beirut Blasts

Before 1975, Beirut was the hub of economic, social, intellectual, and cultural life in West Asia. But, after the Lebanese Civil War - the city has struggled to rise from its bloody past. WION's Palki Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas: Beirut | The embattled Jewel of the Mediterranean

The devastating blast in Beirut is yet another blast to the city. The city was supposed to be an economical, cultural and political hub of West Asia but Beirut is struggling to rise from its bloody past. Watch report.

Beirut struggles to rise: City of baffling contradictions

As residents in Lebanon's capital Beirut woke up to find death and destruction in their city with several dead and hundreds still being dug out from the rubble, the ancient city has been set to ruin amid civil unrest and large scale turmoil.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explosion-in-beirut-killed-more-than-100-people-toll-expected-to-go-up-lebanese-red-cross-318276">Also Read:&nbsp;Explosion in Beirut kills more than 100 people, toll expected to go up</a>

The civil war which started in 1975 and lasted for nearly 15 years tore apart the city, destroying its secular and cosmopolitan fabric. The exit of French colonials and the resulting shift in demographic of the city resulted in clashes&nbsp;between Palestinian forces led by the Palestine Liberation Organization(PLO) and between Arabs and Muslim Lebanese factions as Isreal and Syria stepped into the devastation.

Watch:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/world-leaders-pledge-to-help-lebanon-beirut-explosions-pm-modi-donald-trump-318256/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Although peace was brokered in 1990-91 between various factions but tensions continued to simmer between Sunnis and Shias. During the 80s, Beirut witnessed large scale devastation as Israel launched attacks on PLO bases in Lebanon with support of local militias as rampant hostage-taking and violence overtook the city.

<img alt="Beirut" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c75fde9d-b36b-4daa-bde5-de7f154f8ad8" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/BeirutC.jpg" />

Israeli forces first drove through eastern Beirut and then from mid-1982 Israeli forces lay siege outside Beirut even as the United States called on the PLO to withdraw from Lebanon. The situation was made worse with sectarian conflict with refugees becoming casualties in an all-out war with no end.

The faction-ridden city has now been split into various groups even as a ceasefire was brokered in 2006 in the Israeli-Lebanese conflict. With lakhs killed and several hundred displaced and abandoned, Beirut still struggles with the scars of the civil war.

<img alt="Beirut" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b8100d54-0795-4e92-9b0d-674fbd55fd56" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Beirut1.jpg" />

After the blasts ripped through the city, Israeli officials said they had nothing to do with it even as Iran-backed Hezbollah&nbsp;also offered support with other countries including Saudi Arabia and Cyprus offering medical aid to residents.

The city which has been reeling in economic hardships and the recent surge in coronavirus cases has now been laid to waste as blasts occurred at port warehouses storing highly explosive material.

President Michel Aoun said that 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate&nbsp;used in fertilisers and bombs&nbsp;had been stored for six years at the port without safety measures.&nbsp;

No group has yet taken responsibility for the blasts even as the city battles to come to grip with the latest massacre. 
&nbsp;

As residents in Lebanon's capital Beirut woke up to find death and destruction in their city with several dead and hundreds still being dug out from the rubble, the ancient city has been set to ruin amid civil unrest and large scale turmoil.

As residents in Lebanon's capital Beirut woke up to find death and destruction in their city with several dead and hundreds still being dug out from the rubble, the ancient city has been set to ruin amid civil unrest and large scale turmoil. Also Read: Explosion in Beirut kills more than 100 people, toll expected to go up The civil war which started in 1975 and lasted for nearly 15 years tore apart the city, destroying its secular and cosmopolitan fabric. The exit of French colonials and the resulting shift in demographic of the city resulted in clashes between Palestinian forces led by the Palestine Liberation Organization(PLO) and between Arabs and Muslim Lebanese factions as Isreal and Syria stepped into the devastation. Watch: Although peace was brokered in 1990-91 between various factions but tensions continued to simmer between Sunnis and Shias. During the 80s, Beirut witnessed large scale devastation as Israel launched attacks on PLO bases in Lebanon with support of local militias as rampant hostage-taking and violence overtook the city. Israeli forces first drove through eastern Beirut and then from mid-1982 Israeli forces lay siege outside Beirut even as the United States called on the PLO to withdraw from Lebanon. The situation was made worse with sectarian conflict with refugees becoming casualties in an all-out war with no end. The faction-ridden city has now been split into various groups even as a ceasefire was brokered in 2006 in the Israeli-Lebanese conflict. With lakhs killed and several hundred displaced and abandoned, Beirut still struggles with the scars of the civil war. After the blasts ripped through the city, Israeli officials said they had nothing to do with it even as Iran-backed Hezbollah also offered support with other countries including Saudi Arabia and Cyprus offering medical aid to residents. The city which has been reeling in economic hardships and the recent surge in coronavirus cases has now been laid to waste as blasts occurred at port warehouses storing highly explosive material. President Michel Aoun said that 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate used in fertilisers and bombs had been stored for six years at the port without safety measures. No group has yet taken responsibility for the blasts even as the city battles to come to grip with the latest massacre.

Beirut: Lebanon's capital scarred amid civil war and violence

The massive explosion in Beirut's Lebanon killing at least 100 people and injuring thousands. The death toll is expected to rise even further. Watch report.

Lebanon Blast: Massive explosion rips through Beirut, Ammonium Nitrate cache triggers blast

WION Dispatch: Hospitals in Beirut overwhelmed | Lebanon blast

Fineprint: Deadliest explosion due to Ammonium Nitrate in Beirut

A huge blast in Beirut has killed more than 100 people and left 300,000 people homeless and caused damage across half of the city estimated to cost more than $3 billion, its governor told AFP on Wednesday.

Social media is abuzz in Lebanon&nbsp;with videos from different corners of the city as the blast happened.&nbsp;One such video captured from the CCTV footage of the house shows an African maid risking her life to save a child.

Twitter user @HSajwanization shared the video on the micro-blogging site and wrote, "My heart goes for this African maid, who ignored her own life, and tried to safe her employer’s child .. 🙏🏼 , Not all angels have wings 🕊".

Watch the video here:&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
My heart goes for this African maid, who ignored her own life, and tried to safe her employer’s child .. 🙏🏼 
Not all angels have wings 🕊 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BeirutExplosion?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BeirutExplosion</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#لبنان</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Beirut?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Beirut</a> <a href="https://t.co/94vVB5UTVc">pic.twitter.com/94vVB5UTVc</a>
— حسن سجواني 🇦🇪 Hassan Sajwani (@HSajwanization) <a href="https://twitter.com/HSajwanization/status/1290752248121905155?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Another video which went viral saw a bride posing for her bridal photoshoot running to save her life. The video recorded from the shooting camera shows how everyone, including the bride in her bridal wear running around amid the chaos after&nbsp;the blast.

Twitter user @RaShalhoub shared the video with the caption, "A bride in downtown Beirut".

The video since being posted has over 2.3 million views on the micro-blogging site and is being shared widely by users.

Watch the video here:

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
عروس وسط بيروت.. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#لبنان</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZSPhYBLZra">pic.twitter.com/ZSPhYBLZra</a>
— رشـــــــــــــا🇱🇧 (@RaShalhoub) <a href="https://twitter.com/RaShalhoub/status/1290724338547777536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Earlier today, another video surfaced of a father in Beirut seen trying to comfort and protect his son from the blast.

The video was shared by @HayowAli and has more than 361.8k views and going viral across the region.

Watch the video here:&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This video of a father in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Beirut?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Beirut</a> trying to comfort and protect his son from the blast moved me to tears, So surreal and this is extremely sad. Wonderful Dad.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PrayForLebanon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PrayForLebanon</a>🤲🤲🤲<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/prayforbeirut?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#prayforbeirut</a>🤲🤲🤲 <a href="https://t.co/jzWoXst30m">pic.twitter.com/jzWoXst30m</a>
— Mohamed Ali Hayow (@HayowAli) <a href="https://twitter.com/HayowAli/status/1290797180614311944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Another user shared a video he recorded in his moving car showing&nbsp;the impact of the blast. The video clearly shows the damage caused to his car from the blast.

Watch the video here:&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Terrifying video of the Beirut explosion from a car driving on the road next to the port <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Beirut?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Beirut</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BeirutBlast?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BeirutBlast</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BeirutExplosion?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BeirutExplosion</a> <a href="https://t.co/ueurmqWf8g">pic.twitter.com/ueurmqWf8g</a>
— 𝐀𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐮𝐬® (@aamiryounus) <a href="https://twitter.com/aamiryounus/status/1290829782913974272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Wednesday toured the site where the&nbsp;explosion ripped through Beirut's port and surrounding areas on Tuesday.

Aoun said 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, used in fertilizers and bombs&nbsp;had been stored for six years at the port without safety measures. He called it "unacceptable."

The explosion was the most powerful ever to rip through Beirut, leaving the port district a wreck of mangled masonry and disabling the main entry port for imports to feed a nation of more than 6 million people.

Lebanese rescue workers dug through rubble on Wednesday looking for survivors.&nbsp;Officials said the toll was expected to rise in a city still reeling from civil war three decades ago and hit with economic meltdown and a surge in coronavirus infections, reported news agency Reuters.

The explosion came three days before a U.N.-backed court is due to deliver a verdict in the trial of four suspects from the Shi'ite Muslim group Hezbollah over a 2005 bombing that killed former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri and 21 others.

Hariri was killed by a huge truck bomb on the same waterfront, about 2 km from the port.

A huge blast in Beirut has killed more than 100 people and left 300,000 people homeless and caused damage across half of the city estimated to cost more than $3 billion, its governor told AFP on Wednesday.

A huge blast in Beirut has killed more than 100 people and left 300,000 people homeless and caused damage across half of the city estimated to cost more than $3 billion, its governor told AFP on Wednesday. Social media is abuzz in Lebanon with videos from different corners of the city as the blast happened. One such video captured from the CCTV footage of the house shows an African maid risking her life to save a child. Twitter user @HSajwanization shared the video on the micro-blogging site and wrote, "My heart goes for this African maid, who ignored her own life, and tried to safe her employer’s child .. 🙏🏼 , Not all angels have wings 🕊". Watch the video here: My heart goes for this African maid, who ignored her own life, and tried to safe her employer’s child .. 🙏🏼 Not all angels have wings 🕊 #BeirutExplosion #لبنان #Beirut pic.twitter.com/94vVB5UTVc — حسن سجواني 🇦🇪 Hassan Sajwani (@HSajwanization) August 4, 2020 × Another video which went viral saw a bride posing for her bridal photoshoot running to save her life. The video recorded from the shooting camera shows how everyone, including the bride in her bridal wear running around amid the chaos after the blast. Twitter user @RaShalhoub shared the video with the caption, "A bride in downtown Beirut". The video since being posted has over 2.3 million views on the micro-blogging site and is being shared widely by users. Watch the video here: عروس وسط بيروت.. #لبنان pic.twitter.com/ZSPhYBLZra — رشـــــــــــــا🇱🇧 (@RaShalhoub) August 4, 2020 × Earlier today, another video surfaced of a father in Beirut seen trying to comfort and protect his son from the blast. The video was shared by @HayowAli and has more than 361.8k views and going viral across the region. Watch the video here: This video of a father in #Beirut trying to comfort and protect his son from the blast moved me to tears, So surreal and this is extremely sad. Wonderful Dad.#PrayForLebanon🤲🤲🤲#prayforbeirut🤲🤲🤲 pic.twitter.com/jzWoXst30m — Mohamed Ali Hayow (@HayowAli) August 4, 2020 × Another user shared a video he recorded in his moving car showing the impact of the blast. The video clearly shows the damage caused to his car from the blast. Watch the video here: Terrifying video of the Beirut explosion from a car driving on the road next to the port #Beirut #BeirutBlast #BeirutExplosion pic.twitter.com/ueurmqWf8g — 𝐀𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐮𝐬® (@aamiryounus) August 5, 2020 × Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Wednesday toured the site where the explosion ripped through Beirut's port and surrounding areas on Tuesday. Aoun said 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, used in fertilizers and bombs had been stored for six years at the port without safety measures. He called it "unacceptable." The explosion was the most powerful ever to rip through Beirut, leaving the port district a wreck of mangled masonry and disabling the main entry port for imports to feed a nation of more than 6 million people. Lebanese rescue workers dug through rubble on Wednesday looking for survivors. Officials said the toll was expected to rise in a city still reeling from civil war three decades ago and hit with economic meltdown and a surge in coronavirus infections, reported news agency Reuters. The explosion came three days before a U.N.-backed court is due to deliver a verdict in the trial of four suspects from the Shi'ite Muslim group Hezbollah over a 2005 bombing that killed former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri and 21 others. Hariri was killed by a huge truck bomb on the same waterfront, about 2 km from the port.

Beirut blast: Viral videos of the moment when it happened!

beirut-explosion

Beirut Explosion, News on Beirut Explosion, stories on Beirut Explosion, articles on Beirut Explosion, Beirut Explosion stories at Wion, Beirut Explosion news, Beirut Explosion latest news

beirut explosion