• LightBox

Explosion in Beirut: Photos From a City Still Reeling From the Blast

1 minute read
Updated: | Originally published:

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.

LEBANON-BEIRUT-HUGE EXPLOSIONS
Pink smoke rises following the explosion.Bilal Jawich—Xinhua/Sipa USA
LEBANON-BLAST
A picture shows the scene of the explosion near the the port.AFP/Getty Images
Massive Explosion Near Port Area Of Beirut
A car is damaged after the explosion.Daniel Carde—Getty Images
Massive explosion at Beirut's port
The facade of a building is shattered following a massive explosion in Beirut's port.Marwan Naamani—picture-alliance
LEBANON-BLAST
Lebanese army soldiers stand while a helicopter puts out a fire at the scene of the explosion.AFP/Getty Images
Massive Explosion Near Port Area Of Beirut
An injured woman lies on the sidewalk aided by bystanders after the explosion.Daniel Carde—Getty Images
Large explosion in harbor area rocks Beirut, Lebanon - 04 Aug 2020
A view of damages at a house in the Burj Abu Haidar area after the explosion.Nabil Mounzer—EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Lebanon Explosion
Wounded people evacuate after a massive explosion in Beirut.Hassan Ammar—AP
LEBANON-BLAST
A wounded woman helps another injured person get into the backseat of a car following the twin explosion.Marwan Tahtah—AFP/Getty Images
Massive Explosion Near Port Area Of Beirut
An elderly woman is helped while walking through debris after the explosion.Daniel Carde—Getty Images
Lebanon Explosion
An injured man waits for help at the scene of the explosion.Hussein Malla—AP

More Must-Reads From TIME

Contact us at letters@time.com