A huge explosion buried much of Beirut, Lebanon, under rubble and dust on Tuesday afternoon. Now, an international rescue effort is underway as the death toll continues to rise.
The blast blew out windows for miles around the city’s port, leveling buildings and scattering debris. As of the time of writing, 135 Lebanese people died and more than 4,000 were injured.
Officials on the ground say the explosion was the result of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate igniting in a warehouse on the port. The ammonium nitrate had reportedly been sitting there since 2014.
How was the ammonium nitrate allowed to sit for so long? What are Lebanon’s next steps?
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