This archive report was first published on 4 August 2020.
On August 4, 2020, a devastating blast shook the Lebanese capital, Beirut, as the city prepared for the verdict in a trial related to the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005.
According to reports, the explosion occurred in the port area of the city, with unconfirmed reports of a second blast. The authorities fear many casualties, and video footage posted online showed a large mushroom cloud and extensive damage.
A UN tribunal is set to issue its verdict in the trial of four suspects in the murder by car bomb of Hariri, all of whom are members of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group. Hezbollah has consistently denied any role in Hariri's death.
Lebanon's health minister has spoken of many injuries and extensive damage, while local media showed people trapped beneath rubble. A witness described the first explosion as deafening.
The cause of the blast is not yet clear, but the incident comes amid political tension in Lebanon, with street demonstrations against the government's handling of the worst economic crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war.
