A massive explosion rocked the capital city of Lebanon on Tuesday, causing widespread destruction and loss of life. At least 100 people were killed in the blast and more than 4,000 others were injured, according to the Associated Press.
As the dust settled around Beirut’s port, believed to be the site of the explosion, photographers captured a city now covered in rubble and broken glass. The blast was so powerful that it overturned cars, damaged buildings and buried victims, the AP reported.
The cause of the explosion is as yet unknown, but the chief of Lebanese General Security, Abbas Ibrahim, said that it could have been confiscated explosive material that was being stored at the port, the AP reported.
The massive explosion shook a country already grabbling with an extended economic crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. The AP reports that Beirut hospitals were quickly overwhelmed.
Graphic content could be disturbing to some readers.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Why Trump’s Message Worked on Latino Men
- What Trump’s Win Could Mean for Housing
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Sleep Doctors Share the 1 Tip That’s Changed Their Lives
- Column: Let’s Bring Back Romance
- What It’s Like to Have Long COVID As a Kid
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Contact us at letters@time.com