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On Tuesday, a massive explosion rocked the Lebanese capital city of Beirut. The sudden, forceful explosion shattered windows, injured several people and frightened the city’s denizens.
Officials say the explosion occurred due to a fire in a fireworks warehouse. Likewise, video of the smoke cloud rising from the building shows glimmers of pyrotechnics, which corroborates this claim.
#Beirut #Lebanon 💥💨 pic.twitter.com/pFXvDeKAgF
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Shortly after the smoke begins rising from the building, an enormous dome of force erupts from it, shaking the city and damaging buildings for miles. Many people have reported injuries in the explosion. However, it is unclear if anyone died.
The explosion occurred Tuesday afternoon in Beirut, the capital city of Lebanon. Cell phone video of the event shows an explosion severe enough to give someone the need for arthritis treatment if they didn’t already have it. The explosion indiscriminately damaged buildings all over the massive city, including the home of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri. Windows shattered, cars fell over and people bowled to the ground as the shockwave spread through the city.
It is unclear what exactly caused the explosion, but the official word is that a fire in the warehouse was the root. Apparently, this particular warehouse stored fireworks. However, it’s unclear how many fireworks would have to detonate at once to cause such a massive explosion.
Many are skeptical of the official story about the accident. Some people are alleging that the explosion is far too large to have been caused by a stockpile of fireworks. Likewise, conspiracy theories online question the official story.
Videos of the explosion quickly went viral on social media. The scene is bizarre and hypnotizing: a rising plume of smoke gives way to a catastrophic explosion in one of the largest cities on Earth. Minutes after the videos went online, people began sharing the images all over.
Likewise, conspiracy theories spread online minutes after the explosion took place. Many on Twitter and Instagram thought the explosion might be some form of terror attack. Others wondered if it was the act of a hostile foreign power. However, according to official reports, the explosion was not malicious in nature, but the result of an accidental fire.
Meanwhile, a thick red cloud hung over the city Tuesday afternoon. Teams of firefighters battled to quell the blazes. The explosion left behind flames throughout portions of the city. It is unknown if the crews will need to perform search-and-rescue tasks.
