When an explosion tore through the Lebanese capital on Tuesday afternoon, it wreaked havoc on nearly all of Beirut's quarters.Buildings as far away as 10 kilometers from the site of the explosion were damaged. Shards of glass filled the thoroughfares, and street lights were extinguished by its force. The blast registered as a 3.3 magnitude earthquake
At least 78 people were killed and more than 4,000 wounded, the health minister told Reuters, and the city's residents rushed to hospitals to donate blood.
Sirens screamed as ambulances rushed to collect the injured, many of whom were climbing out of the rubble of their homes.
The blast at Beirut's port formed a mushroom cloud and could be heard in the city's furthest outskirts.
There were conflicting reports on what caused the explosion, which was initially blamed on a major fire at a warehouse for firecrackers near the port.
