French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Lebanon Thursday, the first world leader in Beirut after the port blast that wreaked destruction across the capital, as France seeks to provide its former colony with urgent disaster aid.

Axar.az reports citing foreign media that the blast on Tuesday – blamed on an unsecured store of ammonium nitrate at the Beirut port – devastated entire neighbourhoods, killed over 100 people and left up to 300,000 without homes.

Macron was greeted on the tarmac by Lebanese President Michel Aoun and is expected to head directly to the port to meet Lebanese and French teams in the disaster area.

Speaking shortly after his arrival, Macron said he hoped to bring a message of support and friendship to the Lebanese people.

“Lebanon is facing a political and economic crisis and urgent response to this is required,” the French president said.

He said he would organise further French, European and international aid for Lebanon in the coming days.