According to CNN, the explosion near the port in Beirut created a shock wave with a giant mushroom-shaped cloud, overturning vehicles and damaging buildings at quite a distance. It was like a 3.3-magnitude earthquake in the Lebanese capital and even people on the remote island of cyberspace felt the explosion, the European - Mediterranean earthquake Center (EMSC) said.
Lebanese Health Minister Hamad Hassan said the death toll from the massive blast in the capital Beirut had reached 78, adding nearly 4,000 people to the injuries.
The cause of the explosion in Beirut is not yet clear. There are conflicting reports about the initial cause, which was believed to be a large firecracker explosion at a warehouse near the port, according to Lebanon's NNA news agency. The security agency's director later said the blast was caused by " exploding materials added to the missile many years ago", but did not provide further details.
The horrific explosion that killed many people "could not pass without anyone being held accountable for what happened," Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab said on television, adding that an investigation into the explosion would be launched.
Giant smoke covered the city after the blast as firefighters quickly arrived at the scene to put out the fire. Scene from the scene shows many people injured and swaying on the streets of the capital. One witness said the scenes looked like "the end of the world".
Beirut hospitals are in chaos as doctors treat dozens of injured people at the same time. Some people had broken arms and legs, others had broken glass on their bodies and some were unconscious.
At least 10 firefighters have gone missing, according to city governor Marwan Abboud, the scene reminded him of "Hiroshima and Nagasaki". "In my life, I have never seen such a great deal of destruction. This is a national disaster," he said.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said at least one Australian citizen was killed in the blast and that the Australian Embassy building was "significantly damaged".
Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Beirut urged people in the area where the blast occurred to " remains indoors and wear masks if any" due to reports of toxic gas issued from the blast.
The blast came amid Lebanon's economic crisis, with joblessness on the rise and poverty rates skyrocketing above 50%.
