BEIRUT — Lebanon’s prime minister said Tuesday those responsible for a massive blast that killed dozens of people and left wide swaths of Beirut in devastation would “pay the price,” as authorities scrambled to rescue the injured and find the cause of the explosion.
More than 60 people were killed and more than 3,000 injured, officials said, with the toll expected to rise as more bodies were pulled out of the rubble.
The blast, which sent a mushroom cloud into the sky, leveled several blocks around Beirut’s downtown port and caused damage several miles away, blowing out windows and knocking people off their feet.
The sudden devastation overwhelmed a country already struggling with both the coronavirus pandemic and an economic crisis: Beirut hospitals quickly filled beyond capacity, pleading for blood supplies and generators to keep their lights on.
Hours later, ambulances still carried away the wounded as army helicopters helped battle fires raging at the port.
The cause of the blast was not immediately known.
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. READ MORE
