This archive report was first published on 4 August 2020.
On August 4, 2020, a devastating pair of explosions rocked the heart of Beirut, Lebanon, leaving a trail of destruction and chaos in its wake.
The first blast, which occurred near the city's port, sent a giant pink cloud rising into the air, while the second, much larger explosion, created a massive cloud of reddish-orange smoke and sent a wave of dust through the city.
Residents of several neighborhoods in East Beirut reported that their walls had shaken or cracked, and their windows had shattered. Cars were overturned, and many roads were blocked by debris, forcing people wounded in the blast to walk through the smoke to hospitals.
At least one hospital was overwhelmed and was turning wounded people away, highlighting the severity of the situation.
As the smoke cleared, small fires could be seen still burning near the port, and the Lebanese Red Cross deployed more than 30 teams to respond to the explosion, urging people to clear a path for its ambulances.
Alan Yuhas contributed reporting from Philadelphia.
