Inside Beirut’s ground zero: Astonishing images reveal the scale of devastation in Lebanese capital

These astonishing images show the scale of the destruction in Beirut after an explosion tore through the port killing more than 100 people and leaving thousands injured in its wake.

Rescuers worked throughout the night and into Wednesday morning scouring ground zero for survivors after the cataclysmic blast that has wrecked entire neighbourhoods in the Lebanese capital.

The scale of the destruction was such that the capital resembled the scene of an earthquake, with thousands of people left homeless and thousands more cramming into overwhelmed hospitals for treatment. 

Beirut’s governor, Marwan Abboud, broke into tears as he toured the blast site. ‘Beirut is a devastated city,’ he said.

Marwan Ramadan was 500 yards away from the port but was still blown off his feet by the blast. ‘It was a real horror show,’ he said. ‘I haven’t seen anything like that since the days of the war.’ 

Bloodied, dazed and weeping residents wandered through Beirut into the night, surveying the ruins around them. Fifteen years of civil war had numbed them to blast damage, but even they had seen nothing like this.  

A destroyed silo is seen amid the rubble and debris following yesterday’s blast at the port of Lebanon’s capital Beirut

This photo shows the scene of devastation that the blast has caused on the city, which is already struggling from economic woes

This photo shows the scene of devastation that the blast has caused on the city, which is already struggling from economic woes

Police and forensic officers work at the scene of an explosion which took place yesterday at the port of Lebanon's capital Beirut

Police and forensic officers work at the scene of an explosion which took place yesterday at the port of Lebanon’s capital Beirut

The scene of an explosion near the the port in the Lebanese capital Beirut as rescuers search for survivors

The scene of an explosion near the the port in the Lebanese capital Beirut as rescuers search for survivors

A Lebanese army helicopter flies over the site of Tuesday's blast on Wednesday morning at the Port area

A Lebanese army helicopter flies over the site of Tuesday’s blast on Wednesday morning at the Port area

The scene of the explosion that devastated the capital of Beirut last night. Rescuers worked throughout the night to look for survivors

The scene of the explosion that devastated the capital of Beirut last night. Rescuers worked throughout the night to look for survivors

A Lebanese army helicopter throwing water at the scene of the explosion on Wednesday morning. Smoke continued to pour from the scene of the disaster throughout the night

A Lebanese army helicopter throwing water at the scene of the explosion on Wednesday morning. Smoke continued to pour from the scene of the disaster throughout the night

A man walks through the devastated port area that is filled with mangled buildings and storage facilties

A man walks through the devastated port area that is filled with mangled buildings and storage facilties

A drone picture shows the scene of an explosion that struck the port in Beirut yesterday and has caused devastation in the capital

A drone picture shows the scene of an explosion that struck the port in Beirut yesterday and has caused devastation in the capital

‘We’ve had some dark days in Lebanon over the years but this is something else,’ said Rami Rifai, a 38-year-old engineer, speaking from a hospital where his two daughters were receiving treatment after sustaining cuts despite being half a kilometre from the seat of the blast.

‘We already had the economic crisis, a government of thieves and coronavirus. I didn’t think it could get worse but now I don’t know if this country can get up again. Everyone is going to try to leave. I will try to leave,’ he said, his voice choked by tears.

In the areas closest to the port, the amount of destruction caused by the long years of civil war between 1975 and 1990 was achieved in a second by a blast that levelled buildings within a radius of several hundred metres.

One resident of Mar Mikhail, one of the most affected neighbourhoods, said she saw bodies strewn in the middle of the street, apparently thrown off balconies and rooftops by the blast. 

The mushroom-shaped explosion – which seismologists said was logged as the equivalent of a 3.3 magnitude quake – and the scope of the damage drew nuclear analogies in many people’s accounts of the tragedy.

‘The Apocalypse’ read the headline of L’Orient-Le Jour, the main French-language daily in Lebanon, a country that has seen its share of explosions in its recent past, but none quite this big.

The embattled government of Prime Minister Hassan Diab described the circumstances at the port that led to the explosion as ‘unacceptable’ and vowed to investigate.

‘Those responsible for this catastrophe will pay the price,’ he said.

A survivor is taken out of the rubble as rescuers search for survivors today after the blast that wrecked the Lebanese capital

A survivor is taken out of the rubble as rescuers search for survivors today after the blast that wrecked the Lebanese capital

Lebanese soldiers search for survivors this morning a massive explosion that has caused chaos in the city

Lebanese soldiers search for survivors this morning a massive explosion that has caused chaos in the city

A woman sweeps at a damaged hospital following Tuesday's blast. Offices, restaurants and other buildings have also been destroyed by the blast

A woman sweeps at a damaged hospital following Tuesday’s blast. Offices, restaurants and other buildings have also been destroyed by the blast

People inspect a damaged petrol station near the scene of an explosion. Destroyed vehicles can also be seen and the nearby buildings all have shattered windows

People inspect a damaged petrol station near the scene of an explosion. Destroyed vehicles can also be seen and the nearby buildings all have shattered windows

The explosion has ripped a huge hole in the middle of this building as a man inspects the damage at the front

The explosion has ripped a huge hole in the middle of this building as a man inspects the damage at the front

A woman takes pictures by her mobile phone for a damaged church, with smashed pews littering the floor

A woman takes pictures by her mobile phone for a damaged church, with smashed pews littering the floor

A man walks past a completely destroyed building and cars covered in dust and rubble in the Lebanese capital

A man walks past a completely destroyed building and cars covered in dust and rubble in the Lebanese capital

A man inspects the damage near the scene of yesterday's blast in the Lebanese capital Beirut

A man inspects the damage near the scene of yesterday’s blast in the Lebanese capital Beirut

A damaged facade is seen following the blast. The explosion was so devastating it blasted many windows out of their frames

A damaged facade is seen following the blast. The explosion was so devastating it blasted many windows out of their frames 

Messages of support poured in from around the world for Lebanon, whose economy was already on its knees after defaulting on sovereign debt earlier this year.

A crippling devaluation has sent poverty levels soaring to an estimated 50 percent of the population and for a country so heavily reliant on imports, the obliteration of the main port signalled more hardship ahead.

Criticism of the government was already rife on social media, where Lebanese users argued that a disaster of such magnitude could only strike in a state whose institutions are crippled by incompetence and corruption.

Late Tuesday, thousands of families drove out of Beirut to take their families to safety, but many others were left stranded without a roof, unable to go anywhere or unwilling to leave their gutted homes open to looters.

The rescue effort was slowed at night by the lack of electricity, which was already intermittent at best in much of the city before the explosion.

The security forces sealed off a huge area around the blast site, turning away residents trying to reach their homes to assess the damage.

People on the street in Beirue which is strewn with debris from damaged buildings following the explosion

People on the street in Beirue which is strewn with debris from damaged buildings following the explosion

A man reacts at the scene of an explosion at the port in Lebanon's capital Beirut on August 4

A man reacts at the scene of an explosion at the port in Lebanon’s capital Beirut on August 4

A huge explosion rocked the Lebanese capital Beirut, wounding dozens of people, shaking buildings and sending huge plumes of smoke billowing into the sky

A huge explosion rocked the Lebanese capital Beirut, wounding dozens of people, shaking buildings and sending huge plumes of smoke billowing into the sky

Entire buildings were razed to rubble in Beirut yesterday after a chemical explosion punched through the city and wreaked devastation for miles

Entire buildings were razed to rubble in Beirut yesterday after a chemical explosion punched through the city and wreaked devastation for miles 

A large explosion rocked the Lebanese capital Beirut today. The blast, which rattled entire buildings and broke glass, was felt in several parts of the city

A large explosion rocked the Lebanese capital Beirut today. The blast, which rattled entire buildings and broke glass, was felt in several parts of the city

Sombering scenes showed citizens in despair as their homes were damaged, with walls blown through and windows shattered

Sombering scenes showed citizens in despair as their homes were damaged, with walls blown through and windows shattered

A view of damages at a house in Burj Abu Haidar area in Beirut

Paola Rebeiz  was watching television when a blast in central Beirut hit her home in St Nicolas, around a kilometre south of the site of the explosion, shattering all of her windows

The blast inflicted severe damage to people’s homes. Paola Rebeiz was watching television when a blast in central Beirut hit her home in St Nicolas, around a kilometre south of the site of the explosion, shattering all of her windows (right)

A view shows the damages entrance of a store in Burj Abu Haidar area in Beirut

A view shows the damages entrance of a store in Burj Abu Haidar area in Beirut

Glass is shattered by the explosion at the Cavalier Hotel in Beirut following the explosion

Glass is shattered by the explosion at the Cavalier Hotel in Beirut following the explosion 

A mobile phone image showing a general view of the harbor area with smoke billowing from an area of a large exoplosion, with damage and debris after a large explosion rocked the harbor area of Beirut

A mobile phone image showing a general view of the harbor area with smoke billowing from an area of a large exoplosion, with damage and debris after a large explosion rocked the harbor area of Beirut

It lay waste to the immediate surrounding buildings, where firefighters were still battling flames this evening, and even wreaked havoc on districts miles away from the blast site

It lay waste to the immediate surrounding buildings, where firefighters were still battling flames this evening, and even wreaked havoc on districts miles away from the blast site

Fires burning at the port on Beirut well into the night following an explosion, believed to be from chemicals

Fires burning at the port on Beirut well into the night following an explosion, believed to be from chemicals 

Smoke billows at the site of the large explosion and buildings are reduced to twisted wreckages

Smoke billows at the site of the large explosion and buildings are reduced to twisted wreckages 

The blast ripped through buildings and blew bricks out of walls and brought them crashing down on to the street.

The blast ripped through buildings and blew bricks out of walls and brought them crashing down on to the street. 

Dramatic footage shows smoke billowing from the port area shortly before an enormous fireball explodes into the sky and blankets the city in a thick mushroom cloud

Dramatic footage on social media shows people screaming as an enormous blast rocks the waterside area of Lebanon's capital city

Dramatic footage shows smoke billowing from the port area shortly before an enormous fireball explodes into the sky and blankets the city in a thick mushroom cloud

People ride past a car destroyed after a building wall collapsed because of the blast which wreaked havoc for miles

People ride past a car destroyed after a building wall collapsed because of the blast which wreaked havoc for miles

Images showed port buildings reduced to tangled masonry, devastating the main entry point to a country that relies on food imports to feed its population of more than six million

 Images showed port buildings reduced to tangled masonry, devastating the main entry point to a country that relies on food imports to feed its population of more than six million

The explosion laid waste to sections of the city as Lebanon grapples with its worst economic crisis in decades

The explosion laid waste to sections of the city as Lebanon grapples with its worst economic crisis in decades

Firefighters douse a blaze at the scene of an explosion at the port of Lebanon's capital Beirut

Firefighters douse a blaze at the scene of an explosion at the port of Lebanon’s capital Beirut

The lobby of a building overlooking the Lebanese capital Beirut's central Martyrs' Square, with rubble and debris from covering the street following massive explosions earlier at the nearby port of Beirut

The lobby of a building overlooking the Lebanese capital Beirut’s central Martyrs’ Square, with rubble and debris from covering the street following massive explosions earlier at the nearby port of Beirut

Outside one hospital, Omar Kinno sat on the pavement, holding back tears. Kinno, a Syrian, said one of his sisters was killed when the blast rocked their apartment near the port, and another sister’s neck was broken. 

His injured mother and father were taken to a hospital but he didn’t know which, and he was making calls trying to track them down.

‘I have no idea what happened to my parents. I am totally lost,’ he said.

Vital infrastructure was damaged, with Roum Hospital putting out a call for generators. One medical centre received 300 emergency patients. ‘I’ve never seen this. It was horrible,’ a medic there said.

Confusion reigned across the city, as people cleared out of damaged homes or tried to locate family. Motorcyclists picked their way through traffic, carrying the injured.

Soldiers cordoned off the port last night, amid warnings that the burning chemicals could give off toxic fumes.

Regardless, relatives of the missing arrived at the perimeter.

A woman in her twenties stood screaming at security forces, asking about the fate of her brother, a port employee.

‘His name is Jad, his eyes are green,’ she pleaded, to no avail as security forces would not let her enter.

Nearby another woman almost fainted while also asking about her brother who worked at the port.

But even the security forces were not immune from emotion.

The body of one of their colleagues was brought to them on a stretcher. A fellow officer pulled out a photograph of the dead man with his fiancée, and the comrades wept.

Firefighters spray water at a fire after an explosion was heard in Beirut

Firefighters spray water at a fire after an explosion was heard in Beirut

A car was flung upside down by the blast which hit Beirut yesterday and caused widespread damage

A car was flung upside down by the blast which hit Beirut yesterday and caused widespread damage

There was a structure fire near the port of Beirut followed by a second massive explosion, which damaged surrounding buildings and injured thousands

There was a structure fire near the port of Beirut followed by a second massive explosion, which damaged surrounding buildings and injured thousands

Vital infrastructure such as hospitals sustained damage, as did the city's airport despite its location six miles away from the blast site, laying bare the magnitude of the trauma

Vital infrastructure such as hospitals sustained damage, as did the city’s airport despite its location six miles away from the blast site, laying bare the magnitude of the trauma

Rescue crews search a street for survivors after a large explosion caused buildings to collapse

Rescue crews search a street for survivors after a large explosion caused buildings to collapse

In St Maron Parish, the priest was broadcasting his sermon to his congregation, as is the norm during coronavirus. The video shows an initial blast knocks out the power and the candles behind him blow out ominously – but he perseveres, unaware of what is approaching.

Seconds later the main blast wave hits, bringing stained-glass windows crashing onto the altar. As he flees, footage shows one piece of masonry smashes into his back, sending him to the ground. 

But in a rare piece of positive news yesterday, locals reported he was not badly hurt.

Inside the port itself, the hangars looked like charred cans, everything destroyed beyond recognition as fire-fighting helicopters flew overhead, dumping water.

Out at sea, ships burned. The UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, UNIFIL, said one of its boats in the port was damaged and a number of its peacekeepers were injured, some seriously.

Authorities worried that fires on boats could trigger yet more explosions, or oil slicks if they sink.

‘The explosion caused an opening in it, and there are serious injuries on board,’ said one Egyptian sailor, pointing at his craft, the Mero Sar, in the harbour.

Reporters from the city’s newspaper, the Lebanon Daily Star, released footage of their own office obliterated.

Miles from the scene of the explosion, balconies were knocked down, ceiling collapsed and windows were shattered.

Even areas largely undamaged were in darkness last night, with power cuts across the city.

One woman covered in blood from the waist up walked down a devastated street while talking furiously on her phone. On another street, a woman with a bloodied face looked distraught, staggering through traffic with two friends at her side.

A young man passed by. ‘This country is cursed,’ he muttered.

Firefighters douse a blaze at the city's port tonight following the deadly explosion which has wreaked devestation on Beirut

Firefighters douse a blaze at the city’s port tonight following the deadly explosion which has wreaked devestation on Beirut

Pictures shows the scene of an explosion at the port in the Lebanese capital Beirut, which lay waste to surrounding buildings

Pictures shows the scene of an explosion at the port in the Lebanese capital Beirut, which lay waste to surrounding buildings

A general view of the harbor area with smoke billowing from an area of a large explosion, with damage and debris after a large explosion rocked the harbor area of Beirut

A general view of the harbor area with smoke billowing from an area of a large explosion, with damage and debris after a large explosion rocked the harbor area of Beirut

A car if left flipped on its roof on a motorway as a result of the devastating impact of the explosion earlier today

A car if left flipped on its roof on a motorway as a result of the devastating impact of the explosion earlier today

Israel denies any involvement in Beirut port blast that comes amid rising tensions in between Lebanon and its neighbour

by Ryan Fahey and William Cole for MailOnline 

Israel has denied having anything to do with the huge explosion in Beirut, adding that the country was ready to give humanitarian and medical assistance to Lebanon.

The huge explosion in port warehouses near the city centre as killed more than 100 people, injured over 4,000 and sent shockwaves that shattered windows, smashed masonry and shook the ground.

Officials said they expected the death toll to rise further after Tuesday’s blast as emergency workers dug through rubble to rescue people and remove the dead. It was the most powerful explosion in years to hit Beirut, which is already reeling from an economic crisis and a surge in coronavirus infections.

Lebanon’s interior minister said initial information indicated highly explosive material, seized years ago, that had been stored at the port had blown up. Israel, which has fought several wars with Lebanon, denied any role.

Lebanon's interior minister said initial information indicated highly explosive material, seized years ago, that had been stored at the port had blown up

Lebanon’s interior minister said initial information indicated highly explosive material, seized years ago, that had been stored at the port had blown up

‘Israel has approached Lebanon through international security and diplomatic channels and has offered the Lebanese government medical and humanitarian assistance,’ a written statement from Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said.  

The offer comes after two weeks of heightened tensions between the rival neighbours, which involved a series of border clashes between the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) and Hezbollah on Israel’s northern frontier. 

Earlier this month, Israel accused Hezbollah of trying to send gunmen across the UN-demarcated Blue Line and said it held the Lebanese government responsible for what it termed an attempted ‘terrorist’ attack. 

There have been numerous similar border spats in recent years but the most recent full-scale conflict broke out between the two sides in 2006 after Hezbollah killed eight Israeli soldiers and kidnapped two, sparking the 34-day Israel-Lebanon war. 

Hezbollah launched rockets at its southern neighbour and Israel returned fire, bombing Lebanese towns, villages and key infrastructure targets. 

Israeli soldiers monitor the country's border with Lebanon near the northern town of Metula earlier this month

Israeli soldiers monitor the country’s border with Lebanon near the northern town of Metula earlier this month

Wounded people are treated at a hospital following the explosion, which has left hundreds of casualties in Beirut last night

Wounded people are treated at a hospital following the explosion, which has left hundreds of casualties in Beirut last night

The conflict ended inconclusively and the two sides are still, technically, at war. Lebanon is one of 31 UN member states that does not recognise Israel’s existence as a state.  

International aid in the form of emergency workers and medical personnel is already on its way to Lebanon. 

France says it is sending two planes with dozens of emergency workers, a mobile medical unit and 15 tons of aid. French President Emmanuel Macron’s office says the aid should allow for the treatment of some 500 victims.

French peacekeepers stationed in Lebanon, a former French protectorate, have been helping since the explosions, Macron’s office said.

Jordan says a military field hospital including all necessary personnel will be dispatched, according to the Royal Court. Egypt has opened a field hospital in Beirut to receive the wounded.

Czech Interior Minister Jan Hamacek says Lebanon has accepted an offer to send a team of 37 rescuers with sniffer dogs to Beirut. Denmark says it is ready to provide humanitarian assistance to Lebanon, and Greece says it is ready to help Lebanese authorities ‘with all means at its disposal.’ 

Prime Minister Hassan Diab, in a short televised speech, has appealed to all countries and friends of Lebanon to extend help to the small nation, saying: ‘We are witnessing a real catastrophe.’ He reiterated his pledge that those responsible for the massive explosion at Beirut’s port will pay the price, without commenting on the cause.

Diab’s speech came the morning after the blast killed at least 100 people and wounded thousands. 

Smoke was still rising from the port Wednesday morning. Major downtown streets were littered with debris and damaged vehicles, and building facades were blown out.

Lebanese Red Cross official George Kettaneh said at least 100 people were killed and more than 4,000 were wounded, and said the toll could rise further. 

After yesterday’s explosion, Shi’ite Iran, the main backer of militant political party Hezbollah, also offered support, as did Tehran’s regional rival Saudi Arabia, a leading Sunni power. 

‘What we are witnessing is a huge catastrophe,’ the head of Lebanon’s Red Cross George Kettani told broadcaster Mayadeen. ‘There are victims and casualties everywhere.’

Hours after the blast, which struck shortly after 6 p.m. (1500 GMT), a fire still blazed in the port district, casting an orange glow across the night sky as helicopters hovered and ambulance sirens sounded across the capital.

A security source said victims were taken for treatment outside the city because Beirut hospitals were packed with wounded. Ambulances from the north and south of the country and the Bekaa valley to the east were called in to help.

The blast was so big that some residents in the city, where memories of heavy shelling during the 1975 to 1990 civil war live on, thought an earthquake had struck. Dazed, weeping and wounded people walked through streets searching for relatives.

‘I promise you that this catastrophe will not pass without accountability,’ Prime Minister Hassan Diab told the nation.

‘Those responsible will pay the price,’ he said in his televised address, adding that details about the ‘dangerous warehouse’ would be made public.

The interior minister told Al Jadeed TV that ammonium nitrate had been stored at the port since 2014.

The U.S. embassy in Beirut warned residents in the city about reports of toxic gases released by the blast, urging people to stay indoors and wear masks if available.  

Footage of the explosion shared by residents on social media showed a column of smoke rising from the port followed by an enormous blast, sending up a white cloud and a fireball into the sky. Those filming the incident from high buildings 2 km (one mile) from the port were thrown backwards by the shock.

It was not immediately clear what caused the initial blaze on Tuesday that set off the blast.

Lebanon’s health minister said more than 50 people had been killed and more than 2,750 injured. Lebanon’s Red Cross said hundreds of people had been taken to hospitals.

The governor of Beirut port told Sky News a team of firefighters, who were battling the initial blaze, had ‘disappeared’ after the explosion.

President Michel Aoun called for an emergency cabinet meeting on Wednesday and said a two-week state of emergency should be declared. He said it was ‘unacceptable’ that 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate were stored for six years without safety measures.

The explosion occurred three days before a U.N.-backed court is due to deliver a verdict in the trial of four suspects from the Shi’ite Muslim group Hezbollah over a 2005 bombing which killed former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri and 21 others.

Hariri was killed by a huge truck bomb on the same waterfront, about 2 km (about one mile) from the port. 

Western countries including the United States, Britain and France also said they were ready to assist.

Images showed port buildings reduced to tangled masonry, devastating the main entry point to a country that relies on food imports to feed its population of more than 6 million.

It threatens a new humanitarian crisis in a nation that hosts hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees and which is already grappling with economic meltdown under one of the world’s biggest debt burdens.

Residents said glass was broken in neighbourhoods on Beirut’s Mediterranean coast and inland suburbs several kms (miles) away. In Cyprus, a Mediterranean island 110 miles (180 km) across the sea from Beirut, residents heard the blast. One resident in Nicosia said his house and window shutters shook.

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