Massive. Looks like the size of a small tactical nuclear weapon. Video shows a plume of smoke, suggesting an existing fire, then a massive detonation and a hemispherical shock-wave encompassing much of the city. Windows were blown in all over downtown, balconies were blown off apartment buildings, and reports of bodies in the streets. Looks like much of Beirut's port is destroyed. Lebanese red cross reports that there are hundreds of casualties as a result of the explosion, including dead and wounded. There are reports that the explosion was heard in Cyprus, 234 km away.
Doesn't appear to be terrorism, at least at first glance. Looks more like a fire in a warehouse used to store explosives. (Which may or may not belong to one of those weird Lebanese militias like Hezbollah.
Edit: The Lebanese government is saying that it was a fire at a warehouse used to store Ammonium Nitrate, which can be very explosive. Lebanese are demanding to know why such dangerous material was allowed to be stored in a highly populated area. National day of mourning announced in Lebanon.
The first tweet below is mind-boggling. Somebody in a high-rise was videoing the big warehouse fire at the port when the explosion happened. You can see the shockwave approaching and hitting.
https://twitter.com/GavinCoote/status/12...2699728896
https://twitter.com/AmichaiStein1/status...3011448837
https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/1290700106489114625
https://twitter.com/dcexaminer/status/12...0077511680
https://twitter.com/GhadaaSharif/status/...2488986624
https://twitter.com/ASE/status/1290711223277846529
Live video of the aftermath.
https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/3WXhP2lrBCw
The port of Beirut
Doesn't appear to be terrorism, at least at first glance. Looks more like a fire in a warehouse used to store explosives. (Which may or may not belong to one of those weird Lebanese militias like Hezbollah.
Edit: The Lebanese government is saying that it was a fire at a warehouse used to store Ammonium Nitrate, which can be very explosive. Lebanese are demanding to know why such dangerous material was allowed to be stored in a highly populated area. National day of mourning announced in Lebanon.
The first tweet below is mind-boggling. Somebody in a high-rise was videoing the big warehouse fire at the port when the explosion happened. You can see the shockwave approaching and hitting.
https://twitter.com/GavinCoote/status/12...2699728896
https://twitter.com/AmichaiStein1/status...3011448837
https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/1290700106489114625
https://twitter.com/dcexaminer/status/12...0077511680
https://twitter.com/GhadaaSharif/status/...2488986624
https://twitter.com/ASE/status/1290711223277846529
Live video of the aftermath.
The port of Beirut