Beirut explosion: scores dead and thousands hurt as blast rips through city

Beirut explosion: scores dead and thousands hurt as blast rips through city

Beirut has been rocked by a huge explosion, devastating parts of the city and injuring thousands of people.

Eyewitness footage shared widely on social media showed a section of the city's port area on fire before a huge blast engulfed nearby neighbourhoods, flattening buildings and leaving streets littered with broken glass and debris.

The Lebanese security chief, Abbas Ibrahim, later blamed combustible chemicals stored in a warehouse.

Lebanon's prime minister, Hassan Diab, said those responsible would 'pay a price' for the disaster.