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Footage on social media showed a huge blast Tuesday evening.
LONDON —
Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, was rocked by a massive explosion on Tuesday evening, with footage from the ground showing significant damage and plumes of smoke rising above the city.
Two explosions occurred in Beirut’s port, potentially injuring dozens, according to the AFP. Firefighters were seen battling flames at the scene of the blast. It is not yet known what caused the explosions.
Ghada Alsharif, a reporter from the Daily Star, one of Lebanon’s most prominent news outlets, posted a video on social media showing significant damage within the newspaper’s office building. Firefighters were seen battling flames at the scene of the blast. It is not yet known what caused the explosion.
Other eyewitnesses have said there are multiple fires still burning and that windows of apartment buildings were shattered in a large radius around the blast site.
The blast comes at a time of heightened tension between the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah, which makes up part of the Lebanese government, and neighboring Israel. An Israeli military official told ABC News they had no comment on the blast.
The country is also in a position of severe financial difficulty which has exacerbated sectarian tensions within the country in recent months.
So far there has been no official comment from the Lebanese government.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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