At least 78 dead and thousands injured after massive explosion rocks Beirut

People stand on a pile of rubble in Beirut on August 4. APAImages/Shutterstock

The death toll from a massive explosion in the capital Beirut on Tuesday had reached 78, Lebanon's health minister has told the Reuters news agency.

Health Minister Hamad Hassan told Reuters that nearly 4,000 people have also been injured.

The minister earlier said in televised remarks that more than 70 people had been killed.

Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

President Trump offered sympathy and assistance to the people of Lebanon after an explosion that left dozens dead and thousands injured on Tuesday, referring to the incident as a “terrible attack.” Lebanese officials have not called the explosion an attack.

Trump said the country has a “very good relationship with the people of Lebanon and we will be there to help.” 

“Looks like a terrible attack,” Trump said, appearing to look up from notes on his podium.

There were conflicting reports on what caused the explosion, which was initially blamed on a major fire at a warehouse for firecrackers near the port. The director of the general security directorate later said the blast was caused by confiscated "high explosive materials," but did not provide further details.

Asked if he was confident if the explosion was an attack and not an accident, the President said it “seems like” it was, based on what US military officials have told him. 

“It would seem like it based on the explosion,” Trump said. “I’ve met with some of our great generals and they just seem to feel that it was not a – some kind of manufacturing explosion type of event. This was a – seems to be according to them, they would know better than I would, but they seem to think it was an attack. It was a bomb of some kind.”

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said at least one Australian has been killed in the Beirut blast and the Australian Embassy building has been “significantly compromised."

The prime minister was speaking Wednesday local time on CNN affiliate Channel 7, on the station’s morning program.

Morrison also took to Twitter to express his support to the people of Lebanon. 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel at an EU summit in Brussels in July. John Thys/Pool/AFP/Getty Images

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said her government is “devastated by the reports and images" coming out of Lebanon, according to her spokesperson Ulrike Demmer.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison also tweeted his support to the people of Lebanon. 

"Terrible scenes out of Beirut after a major explosion. Our hearts go out to those caught up in this tragedy and to our Australian Lebanese community waiting to hear from their loved ones. Australia stands ready to provide our support, including to any Australians affected," the prime minister said.

Data collected by the United States Geological Survey shows that the massive explosion in Beirut was so powerful, it created seismic waves equivalent of a magnitude 3.3 earthquake.

However, the magnitude 3.3 equivalent isn't, "directly comparable to an earthquake of similar size."

That's because surface type blasts, like the Beirut explosion, don't produce as large a magnitude as an earthquake of similar energy would according to Don Blakeman, a geophysicist at the National Earthquake Information Center. Blakeman said most of the energy goes into the air and buildings.

"Not enough of the energy is transmitted into the rocks in the ground," he said.

Meaning, if the explosion had occurred below the surface of the earth, the magnitude would have registered even higher.

Ambulances drive past the site of the explosion. Hassan Ammar/AP

The death toll in the massive blast that shook Beirut has reached 73, the Lebanese national broadcaster TeleLiban reported citing Health Minister Hamad Hassan.

The minister said earlier today that at least 2,750 had been injured in the explosion.

People ride past a car destroyed after a building wall collapsed on August 4. Daniel Carde/Getty Images

The US Embassy in Beirut is urging those in the area of the explosion to “stay indoors and wear masks if available” due to reports of toxic gases released from the blast.

An embassy security alert went out following the explosion.

"There are reports of toxic gases released in the explosion so all in the area should stay indoors and wear masks if available," the embassy warned.

The embassy also urged US citizens in the affected areas to "contact their loved ones directly and/or update their status on social media."

Israel is offering humanitarian medical assistance to Lebanon following the massive blast in Beirut Tuesday afternoon, even though the two countries have no diplomatic relations.

“Under the direction of Minister of Defense, Benny Gantz, and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gabi Ashkenazi, Israel approached Lebanon through international defense and diplomatic channels to offer the Lebanese government medical humanitarian aid,” a statement read.

Following the announcement, Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin tweeted, “We share the pain of the Lebanese people and sincerely reach out to offer our aid at this difficult time.”

Lebanon is one of a small number of countries Israel regards as an enemy state, and there have been no diplomatic relations since a ceasefire signed between the two countries in 1949.

As recently as last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was warning that Lebanon, along with Hezbollah, bore “full responsibility” for what the Israeli army described as an infiltration by a Hezbollah cell into Israeli territory.

A view of a damaged street and buildings caused by a massive explosion in Beirut's port. Marwan Naamani/dpa/Alamy Live News

The aid agency Save the Children warned of children unaccounted for after a deadly explosion in Beirut that "wiped out entire streets," according to a statement from the organization.

"We are shocked and devastated by the explosion today. The death toll may not be known for several days but what we do know is that in a disaster like this, children may be hurt, shocked, and separated from their parents," said Jad Sakr, the organization's director in Lebanon.

"It is vital that children and their families get access to the services they urgently need, including medical care and physical and emotional protection," Sakr added.

The organization also reported that hospitals are "completely overwhelmed" and "unable to treat further casualties as hundreds of beds immediately filled up following the blast." The agency described the explosion "as the biggest explosion in Lebanon's recent history."

Save the Children's offices in Beirut were also badly damaged by the explosion.