Explosive ammonium nitrate exploded in the port of Beirut, Al Hadath TV reported referring to the head of the Lebanese Interior Ministry, Mohammed Fahmi.

However, as the law enforcement agencies told Al Mayadeen TV, the smuggled cargo of explosive substances, confiscated from one of the ships nine years ago, was detonated, which had been stored in a warehouse in the port for further processing or destruction.

Four months ago a report was prepared on the great threat of storing such a cargo of explosive substances in the sea harbor, he said. According to some reports, a short circuit happened in the warehouse, which caused a fire, as a result of which the saltpeter exploded. Meanwhile, hospitals in the Lebanese capital are overcrowded.

Only one of the hospitals received over 300 wounded in less than an hour. People are urged to urgently donate blood. All medical personnel has been called to work. According to the first data, the death toll reached 30 people, according to unofficial information, there are many more victims - people are under the buildings destroyed by the blast wave in the port area, TASS reported. PM Hassan Diab said that the explosion in the port of Beirut was a disaster for Lebanon.