Several houses were destroyed in the Lebanese capital Beirut as a result of a blast; there may be people under the rubble, Red Cross employee told RIA Novosti.

The blast wave knocked out the glass in nearby houses, as well as in buildings located several kilometers from the epicenter.

According to the RIA Novosti correspondent, dozens of Beirut residents were injured in a powerful explosion near the port of Beirut. Ambulances are transporting the wounded.

As the Lebanese media noted, the explosion could have been caused by a fire in one of the warehouses with pyrotechnics.