Beirut explosion rocks Lebanon's capital city

A large explosion rocked the Lebanese capital of Beirut on Tuesday at 6:07 p.m. after a major fire broke out near the city's port, killing at least 78 people and injuring 4,000.

What caused the blast: Initially, there were conflicting reports on what caused the explosion. It was earlier blamed on a major fire at a warehouse for firecrackers near the port.

Lebanon's Prime Minister Hassan Diab later said in a statement that an estimated 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate, an explosive, had been stored at a warehouse for the past six years. Lebanon's general security chief said the substance had been confiscated years ago.

What's it like on the ground: In a word, apocalyptic. The blast tore through the city and wreaked havoc on nearly all of Beirut's quarters. The shockwave from the explosion was visible in footage of the incident.

Buildings as far away as 10 km (6 miles) from the site of the explosion were damaged. Streets were filled with shattered glass.

One witness told CNN the port was "totally destroyed."

Emergency wards were inundated with the injured, while the Lebanese Red Cross implored the public on Twitter for blood donations to help the wounded. One of Beirut's major hospitals, Hotel Dieu, received around 400 injured patients, an employee told CNN.

What's the government doing: Lebanese President Michel Aoun ordered military patrols in the city and vowed to investigate. Prime Minister Diab said the storage of ammonium nitrate at a warehouse was "unacceptable" and would be investigated.

"I will not rest until we find those responsible for what happened, hold them accountable, and impose maximum punishment," he said.

Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab said that an estimated 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate had been stored at a warehouse in Beirut for six years, according to a statement published on the Republic of Lebanon Presidency website. 

Ammonium nitrate is a key ingredient in both fertilizer and certain types of explosives. The substance has been used in terror attacks, including the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995.

It's still unclear what exactly caused the Tuesday explosion in Beirut that killed nearly 80 people. The blast was earlier blamed on a fire that broke out.

Lebanon's General Security Chief Abbas Ibrahim said earlier "highly explosive material" that had been confiscated years ago was being stored in the warehouse, which is just minutes' walk from popular shopping and nightlife districts. 

Prime Minister Diab said in the statement it was "unacceptable" that so much explosive material was stored in a warehouse "without taking preventive measures while endangering the safety of citizens."

Diab gave his condolences and wished for the speedy recovery of the wounded. He called for the formation of an investigation committee into the cause of the blast, which should release its results within a maximum of five days, added the statement. 

Three US Defense Department officials tell CNN that as of Tuesday night there is no indication they have seen that the massive explosions that rocked the Lebanese capital of Beirut on Tuesday was an attack, as President Trump indicated during a question and answer session with reporters at the White House.  

The officials, who declined to be identified so they could speak freely, said they don’t know what the President is talking about.  

One official pointed out that if there were indications anyone in the region pulled something off of this scale, it would trigger automatic increases in force protection for US troops and assets in the region if for no other reason than worry about retribution attacks. 

The official notes that none of that is happening so far at least.   

Earlier Tuesday, Trump offered sympathy and assistance to the people of Lebanon after the explosions, which left dozens dead and thousands injured, referring to the incident as a “terrible attack.” 

“Let me begin by sending America’s deepest sympathies to the people of Lebanon, where reports indicate that many, many people were killed, hundreds more were very badly wounded in a large explosion in Beirut,” Trump said at a press briefing Tuesday evening. “Our prayers go out to all the victims and their families. The United States ready to assist Lebanon.”

Trump said the country has a “very good relationship with the people of Lebanon and we will be there to help.”

“Looks like a terrible attack,” Trump said, appearing to look up from notes on his podium.

Asked if he was confident if the explosion was an attack and not an accident, the President said it “seems like” it was, based on what US military officials have told him.  

“It would seem like it based on the explosion,” Trump said. “I’ve met with some of our great generals and they just seem to feel that it was not a – some kind of manufacturing explosion type of event. This was a – seems to be according to them, they would know better than I would, but they seem to think it was an attack. It was a bomb of some kind.”

There were conflicting reports on what caused the explosion, which was initially blamed on a major fire at a warehouse for firecrackers near the port. The director of the general security directorate later said the blast was caused by confiscated "high explosive materials," but did not provide further details.

Lebanese officials have not called the explosion an attack.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison expressed "deep regret" at the death of an Australian citizen who died in the "horrific blast" in Beirut. 

Morrison appeared CNN affiliate Channel 7 Sunrise program on Wednesday and said that he received briefings about the blast but received no information on the cause. 

All of the staff from the Australian Embassy in Beirut are accounted for and have sustained minor injuries like cuts and scratches, Morrison said on Channel 9's Today Show on Wednesday morning local. The building itself has been "impacted significantly," he said.

Morrison said that the image of the blast is "absolutely devastating" and acknowledged that there could be 20,000 Australians present at any one time in Beirut. He went on to say there are hundreds of thousands of Australians who have Lebanese descent.  

Morrison said it was not known how many Australians with Lebanese descent were in country as some may have returned due to the coronavirus outbreak. 

The death toll from a massive explosion in the capital Beirut on Tuesday had reached 78, Lebanon's health minister has told the Reuters news agency.

Health Minister Hamad Hassan told Reuters that nearly 4,000 people have also been injured.

The minister earlier said in televised remarks that more than 70 people had been killed.

President Trump offered sympathy and assistance to the people of Lebanon after an explosion that left dozens dead and thousands injured on Tuesday, referring to the incident as a “terrible attack.” Lebanese officials have not called the explosion an attack.

Trump said the country has a “very good relationship with the people of Lebanon and we will be there to help.” 

“Looks like a terrible attack,” Trump said, appearing to look up from notes on his podium.

There were conflicting reports on what caused the explosion, which was initially blamed on a major fire at a warehouse for firecrackers near the port. The director of the general security directorate later said the blast was caused by confiscated "high explosive materials," but did not provide further details.

Asked if he was confident if the explosion was an attack and not an accident, the President said it “seems like” it was, based on what US military officials have told him. 

“It would seem like it based on the explosion,” Trump said. “I’ve met with some of our great generals and they just seem to feel that it was not a – some kind of manufacturing explosion type of event. This was a – seems to be according to them, they would know better than I would, but they seem to think it was an attack. It was a bomb of some kind.”

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said at least one Australian has been killed in the Beirut blast and the Australian Embassy building has been “significantly compromised."

The prime minister was speaking Wednesday local time on CNN affiliate Channel 7, on the station’s morning program.

Morrison also took to Twitter to express his support to the people of Lebanon. 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said her government is “devastated by the reports and images" coming out of Lebanon, according to her spokesperson Ulrike Demmer.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison also tweeted his support to the people of Lebanon. 

"Terrible scenes out of Beirut after a major explosion. Our hearts go out to those caught up in this tragedy and to our Australian Lebanese community waiting to hear from their loved ones. Australia stands ready to provide our support, including to any Australians affected," the prime minister said.

Data collected by the United States Geological Survey shows that the massive explosion in Beirut was so powerful, it created seismic waves equivalent of a magnitude 3.3 earthquake.

However, the magnitude 3.3 equivalent isn't, "directly comparable to an earthquake of similar size."

That's because surface type blasts, like the Beirut explosion, don't produce as large a magnitude as an earthquake of similar energy would according to Don Blakeman, a geophysicist at the National Earthquake Information Center. Blakeman said most of the energy goes into the air and buildings.

"Not enough of the energy is transmitted into the rocks in the ground," he said.

Meaning, if the explosion had occurred below the surface of the earth, the magnitude would have registered even higher.