20:12

A powerful explosion took place in the seaport of the Lebanese capital Beirut.

Axar.az reports that, a layer of red smoke spread in the sky after the explosion.

The blast shattered the windows of houses several kilometers from the port.

The cause of the incident is unknown.

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At least 10 people have been killed in a series of explosions.

The head of Lebanon's security service, Abbas Ibrahim, has denied that the blast was caused by pyrotechnics.

He said the blast was caused by an explosive device stored in the area for a long time.

21:34

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Beirut Governor Marwan Abboud said the blast had damaged about half of the city.

He compared the explosion to the 1945 nuclear strikes on the Japanese cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima.

"What happened was similar to what happened in Nagasaki and Hiroshima."

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At least 30 people were killed in the blast, according to the latest figures.

The Lebanese Health Minister said.

Beirut hospitals are said to be full of wounded.

The head of the Lebanese Red Cross's Lebanese office said 2,200 people had been injured in the blast, but that number was not the last.

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The Lebanese Ministry of Health has appealed to the World Health Organization (WHO) and Qatar for medical assistance to those injured in the blast.

The death toll from the blast has risen to 40.

The Lebanese Minister of Health said.

He does not rule out an increase in the number of dead.