The devastation is enormous in Lebanon’s capital after huge explosion.
Just before 6 pm local time on Tuesday, the first reports of a fire came in the port of Lebanon’s capital, Beirut.
The fire apparently started a chain reaction, which eventually triggered a colossal explosion . It has killed at least 135 people and injured about 5,000.
Large parts of Beirut were smashed by shock waves. The destruction is, of course, particularly extensive in the city’s port. This is clear from the following photos, which show areas of the harbor before and after the explosion .
Here is a satellite photo of the area of the harbor where a storage building with the fertilizer ammonium nitrate jumped into the air. Pull the lever to see before and after:
