Huge explosion rocks Beirut with widespread damage

A massive explosion rocked downtown Beirut on Tuesday, flattening much of the port, damaging buildings and blowing out windows and doors as a giant mushroom cloud rose above the capital. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Lebanese security officers arrive at the scene of an explosion that hit the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

At the latest count, over 100 people were dead and more than 4,000 injured. Officials said the toll is expected to rise as rescue workers are still pulling people from the debris. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Lebanese Red Cross official Georges Kettaneh said there were dead and wounded, but did not have an exact figure, just saying there were hundreds of casualties. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A civil defense official on the scene of the blast said his men had evacuated dozens to hospitals and that there were still bodies inside the port, many of them under debris. The cause of the blast was not immediately known. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Dozens of ambulances ferried the injured from the port area, where the wounded lay on the ground, Associated Press staff at the scene said. Hospitals called for blood donations. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

The head of the Lebanese Red Cross told local TV there were hundreds of casualties although many were superficial wounds from broken glass. Video taken by residents showed a fire raging at the port, sending up a giant column of smoke, illuminated by flashes of what appear to be fireworks. Local TV stations reported that a fireworks warehouse was involved. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Civilians carry a victim at the explosion scene that hit the seaport, in Beirut Lebanon, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Miles from the port, balconies were knocked down, windows shattered, streets were covered with glass and bricks and lined with wrecked cars. Motorcyclists picked their way through traffic, carrying the injured. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

The blast came at a time when Lebanon's economy is facing collapse, hit both by a financial crisis and coronavirus restrictions. Many have lost jobs, while the worth of their savings has evaporated as the currency has plunged in value against the dollar. The result has thrown many into poverty. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)