Beirut awoke to devastation this morning, following two huge explosions in its port which sent a blast wave across the city, killing at least 100 people and injuring nearly 4,000.
AFP is quoting the governor of Beirut, Marwan Abboud, as saying the damage from the port blast has extended over half of the city, with the cost of damage likely above $3 billion.
He has also upped his previous estimate of the number of “homeless” to 300,000, which is close to the total population of the central part of the capital. Again, we are not sure if he is talking about homelessness or people whose homes have been damaged
An Instagram account has been set up to locate people who went missing in Beirut.
The account is also posting lists of people admitted to various hospitals in the city, to help people find their loved ones.
“We are witnessing a real catastrophe.” Said Hassan Diab. The cause of the explosion was 2,700 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, a common industrial chemical used in fertiliser and as a component in mining explosives. Diab declared a national day of mourning for the victims of the explosion, and promised accountability.
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