Smoke rises after a fire at a warehouse at the Port of Beirut led to massive blasts. Photo / Getty
Smoke rises after a fire at a warehouse at the Port of Beirut led to massive blasts. Photo / Getty
Warning: Distressing content
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade says that 10 New Zealanders are registered as being in Beirut, the site of a devastating explosion overnight that has killed more than 60 and injured more than 3000.
The death toll from the massive blast is expected to rise.
In a statement, Mfat said that a message has been sent to all New Zealanders registered on the SafeTravel site as being in Lebanon and New Zealanders in Beirut are advised to stay away from the affected area and to follow the instructions of local authorities.
Mfat reports that there are currently 21 New Zealanders registered on SafeTravel as being in Lebanon, with 10 in Beirut itself.
The Ministry says that it has not received any requests for consular assistance to date and has no information to suggest that New Zealanders have been affected at this stage.
An injured man walks at the explosion scene. Photo / AP
Medics assist an injured person as fire continues to rage at the site of the explosion. Photo / Getty
Fires still burned at the site of the explosion in Beirut's port, as hospitals struggled to deal with a massive influx of casualties.
The cause of the blast is still unknown, but authorities have suggested that explosive material stored at the port may have ignited.
Abbas Ibrahim, chief of Lebanese General Security, said it might have been caused by highly explosive material that was confiscated from a ship some time ago and stored at the port. Local television channel LBC said the material was sodium nitrate.
Witnesses reported seeing a strange orange-coloured cloud over the site after the explosion. Orange clouds of toxic nitrogen dioxide gas often accompany an explosion involving nitrates.
Shocking new videos show the moment of the explosion from a car driving on a nearby highway and from a boat offshore.
In one video, posted to Twitter, the shockwave can be seen racing across the water in a split-second before slamming into a car, shattering the windows and badly damaging the vehicle.
A video shot from a boat offshore shows the mushroom cloud towering above the port in the moment of explosion before a shockwave hits the boat before the video cuts out.
The blast was stunning even for a city that has seen civil war, suicide bombings and bombardment by Israel. It could be heard and felt as far away as Cyprus, more than 200km across the Mediterranean.
"It was a real horror show. I haven't seen anything like that since the days of the [civil] war," said Marwan Ramadan, who was about 500 meters from the port and was knocked off his feet by the force of the explosion.
Civilians help an injured man at the explosion scene that hit the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020. Photo / AP
Health Minister Hassan Hamad said the preliminary toll was more than 60 dead and more than 3000 wounded.
Emergency teams streamed in from across Lebanon to help, and the injured had to be taken to hospitals outside the capital. Hamad added that hospitals were barely coping and offers of aid were pouring in from Arab states and friends of Lebanon.
