Shocking explosion in Beirut's port as hundreds feared dead

Shocking explosion in Beirut's port as hundreds feared dead

This is the shocking explosion that rocked Beirut, Lebanon on Tuesday (August 4) at approximately 6 pm local time, as local officials expect upwards of hundreds of casualties.

Early reports have been conflicting, with some indicating the explosion was caused by fireworks and other officials saying it was highly explosive materials.

Dusky red air hangs over the city in the wake of the explosion as firefighting teams rushed to the scene to try to put out the fire.

At least 10 firefighters were missing, according to the city's governor Marwan Abboud, who said the scene reminded him of "Hiroshima and Nagasaki," referencing the two atomic bombs dropped on Japan by the United States in World War II.

Local bicycle shop owner Karim Sokhn captured the heart-stopping moment, telling Newsflare his store was severely damaged.

“They’ve evacuated us and we have no access now,” Sokhn tells Newsflare.

Further footage shows the smoke emanating from the explosion and footage of Sokhn’s bike shop from an earlier Instagram post.