Photo Story: Wednesday morning in Beirut: The tragic devastation
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A series of photos sent by thee EPA photographer Wael Hamzeh in Beirut of the aftermath of massive blast in Beirut Tuesday afternoon.
A general view of the destroyed port a day after a massive explosion rocked Beirut, Lebanon, 05 August 2020. EPA-EFE/WAEL HAMZEH
According to media reports, at least 100 people were killed and more than 4,000 were injured after an explosion, caused by over 2,500 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse, devastated the port area on 04 August.
A general view of the destroyed port a day after a massive explosion rocked Beirut, Lebanon, 05 August 2020. EPA-EFE/WAEL HAMZEH
Officials said the toll was expected to rise after the blast at port warehouses that stored highly explosive material. The explosion was the most powerful ever to rip through Beirut, a city still scarred by civil war three decades ago and reeling from an economic meltdown and a surge in coronavirus infections.
A man walks next to damaged vehicles in the aftermath of a massive explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, 05 August 2020. EPA-EFE/WAEL HAMZEH
President Michel Aoun said 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, used in fertilisers and bombs, had been stored for six years at the port without safety measures. He called it “unacceptable”.
A damaged building in the aftermath of a massive explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, 05 August 2020. EPA-EFE/WAEL HAMZEH
An official source familiar with preliminary investigations blamed the incident on negligence. Ordinary Lebanese directed anger at politicians who have overseen decades of state corruption and bad governance that plunged the nation into financial crisis.
Damaged building and vehicles in the aftermath of a massive explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, 05 August 2020. . EPA-EFE/WAEL HAMZEH
