Beirut explosion rocks Lebanon's capital city
What you need to know
- At least 100 people were killed and 4,000 wounded in a massive explosion that shook Beirut on Tuesday, state-run media reported, citing the Red Cross.
- Hundreds have been reported missing in the aftermath of the blast raising fears that the death toll will rise, Lebanon's Health Minister said Wednesday.
- It's still unclear what exactly caused the explosion. Lebanon's Prime Minister said an investigation would focus on an estimated 2,750 metric tons of the explosive ammonium nitrate, stored at a warehouse.
United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres has offered his "deepest condolences" to those affected by the explosion in Beirut.
"I wish all injured, including United Nations personnel, a speedy recovery," he said on Twitter Wednesday.
"The [UN] remains committed to supporting Lebanon at this difficult time."
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi also said the agency stood "in solidarity with people of Beirut and Lebanon in these tragic and testing times," in a statement released Wednesday.
European Union pledges aid and support for Lebanon.
The EU has offered its full support to Lebanon and activated its Civil Protection Mechanism (CPM) in response to the crisis. The CPM is a tool which helps the bloc co-ordinate aid from its member states.
EU officials will urgently deploy "over 100 highly trained firefighters, with vehicles, dogs and equipment, specialised in search and rescue in urban contexts," EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič said in a statement from published Wednesday.
The Netherlands, Greece and the Czech Republic will participate in the scheme and France, Poland and Germany have also offered to assist Lebanon.
"The EU has also activated its Copernicus Satellite mapping system to support the Lebanese authorities in assessing the extent of the damage," Lenarčič added.
"We stand with Lebanon and its people and are ready to mobilise further help."
Six Turkish citizens among thousands wounded
Six Turkish citizens were among the thousands wounded in Tuesday's explosion, Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in a tweet posted Wednesday.
“Five are lightly wounded, and the one who has undergone an operation is getting better. We are in touch with the families," Cavusoglu said.
Earlier, the Philippines Embassy in Beirut confirmed that two of its citizens died in the disaster, while eight more sustained injuries.
