Death toll passes 100 in Beirut explosion

The death toll following deadly explosions in Lebanon’s capital city rose to over 100 on Wednesday, according to reports from Beirut.

The death toll is expected to rise as overburdened hospitals continue to treat victims of the blasts.

Prime Minister Hassan Diab said 2,750 tonnes of the agricultural fertiliser ammonium nitrate that had been stored for years in a portside warehouse had blown up, sparking “a disaster in every sense of the word”. He promised an investigation into who was responsible for the blast.

Lebanon’s cabinet on Wednesday agreed to place all Beirut port officials who have overseen storage and security since 2014 under house arrest, ministerial sources told Reuters.