Two major explosions devastated the port in the Lebanese capital of Beirut yesterday, leaving at least 78 dead and thousands injured.

Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab said 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate fertilizer had been stored for many years at a warehouse near the harbor in the exploding Beirut capital, causing a disaster.

According to AFP correspondent's observation, the second explosion created a giant orange fireball in the sky, immediately followed by strong shockwaves like tornadoes, flattened the port and swept the city, causing fragments

"What happens today will not pass without anyone responsible. The person who caused this disaster will pay the price," Prime Minister Diab said.

"It's like an atomic bomb," said Makrouhie Yerganian, a retired teacher in her 70s who lives near the port.

Online images show the airport in Beirut, about 9 km from the scene of the explosion, also suffered damage.

The explosion was thought to be a great shock to the country reeling from the worst economic crisis in decades with the Covid-19 pandemic, pushing nearly half of the population into poverty.

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