Video clips show the white plume of smoke which filled the sky above Beirut’s port area before a huge fireball and blast wave send cars toppling
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What caused deadly Beirut blast that killed at least 78 and injured thousands
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Horrifying video clips have been shared on social media which capture the moment the deadly blast erupted in Beirut.
One video, filmed from inside a car travelling on a raised road parallel to the port area, shows huge plumes of white smoke filling the sky before the blast explodes into an orange fireball.
The force smashes into the car, smashing the windows and leaving the rear view mirror hanging off as the vehicle appears to have been flipped onto its roof.
While the person filming manages to pick them self up, other vehicles travelling along that stretch were not so lucky.
In a second clip, the camera watches from the ground, much closer to the scene than the first, as the smoke cloud comes into view.
Video captured inside a car traveling on a road bridge above ground level
The camera operator begins to zoom in on the plumes of smoke as car horns can be heard.
They then zoom out as the explosion goes off, with the fireball quickly replaced by a blast wave which carries debris and knocks the person filming to the ground.
What has been described as the worst explosion in the Lebanese capital for years, the blast originated in port warehouses.
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At least 78 people have died and more than 4,000 were injured during the catastrophic events on Tuesday evening.
A shockwave coursed through the city, shattering windows and collapsing balconies – with many initially suspecting an earthquake.
The blast was reportedly heard 110 miles away in Cyprus.
The Lebanese government said it as still struggling to establish the full scale of the disaster.
This ground level clip ends with the person filming being thrown to the ground
President Michel Aoun said 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate had been stored for six years at the port without safety measures and said it was "unacceptable".
Officials said they expected the death toll to rise further as emergency workers dug through rubble to rescue people and remove the dead.
But did not say what caused the initial blaze that set off the blast. A security source and local media said it was started by welding work carried out on a hole in the warehouse.
While US President Donald Trump has claimed he has been informed by his generals that it was down to a "bomb of some kind".
Flames continued to roar into the night after the blast
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Victims were reportedly being taken for treatment outside the city because Beirut hospitals were packed with wounded.
While people were being warned to remain indoors due to the risk of toxic fumes.
Hours later, a fire still blazed in the port district, casting an orange glow across the night sky as helicopters hovered and ambulance sirens sounded across the capital.
Survivors described the aftermath as like the final days of the civil war.
Sourse: www.mirror.co.uk
