Beirut, Lebanon – A loud explosion broke out into the city of Beirut today, causing a widespread shock-wave ripple that shattered windows, shook the ground and deafened citizens around the explosion with an estimated 27 people killed in the incident.
No known fact has been divulged by authorities so far as to what caused the explosion but the aftermath was devastating as the city perimeter itself was affected with a visible mushroom cloud emanating from the explosion’s site before a deafening boom that was followed by a powerful force of compressed wind that knocked citizens back, shattered windows and released a thunderous crack in the air that could be heard for miles.
Hospitals are filled with casualties from the explosion as the country was celebrating the last day of Eid Al-Adha, Islam’s biggest religious holiday.
Lebanon had still been reeling over tensions from the revived case of ex-Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri who was assassinated in 2005 by 4 suspects whose tribunal was due a verdict on Friday before the sudden incident with some making early speculations based on the timing.
27 people were estimated to have been killed by the explosion after bodies were recovered from the wreckage with 2500 injured. Lebanon’s Health Minister Hamad Hassan pointed out that the injuries and severe damage to the buildings around the city was extensive in that many homes and buildings had their windows blown out and walls cracked from the sheer power of the explosive force.
“I saw the fire, but I didn’t yet know there was going to be an explosion. We went inside. Suddenly I lost my hearing because apparently I was too close. I lost my hearing for a few seconds, I knew something was wrong.
And then suddenly the glass just shattered all over the car, the cars around us, the shops, the stores, the buildings. Just glass going down from all over the building.
Literally all over Beirut, people were calling each other from different areas kilometres away and they were experiencing the same thing: broken glass, buildings shaking, a loud explosion.” said Hadi Nasrallah, an eye witness to the chaos.
Lebanon currently suffers an economic crisis as COVID-19 has brought it’s finances into the red line with its tourism struck down with the grounding of airplanes and restricted travel permissions. The government must now allocate much of its resources to manning more hospitals to shelter the many injured from the sudden explosion.
According to Lebanon’s National News Agency, a reported fire broke out at what it cited an explosives depot at the port.
