Beirut: Lebanon Prime Minister Hassan Diab said that nearly 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate were stored in the Beirut port warehouse that exploded Tuesday, devastating large parts of the Lebanese capital.

A spokesperson of the Defense Council said to the media person on Tuesday “It is unacceptable that a shipment of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate has been present for six years in a warehouse, without taking preventive measures”. “It is unacceptable and we cannot remain silent on this issue.”

     Ten people died and hundreds of public injured at Beirut the capital city of Lebanon on Tuesday night in a huge explosion. The explosion sent shockwaves across the Lebanese capital, shattering windows and causing apartment balconies to collapse, witnesses and said security sources.

The most powerful explosion to hit Beirut in years shook the ground, leaving some residents thinking an earthquake had struck. Dazed and weeping, some of them wounded, people walked through streets checking to see if relatives were hurt. According to the Lebanon’s news agency and to other security sources, the explosion occurred in the city’s port area, where there were warehouses housing explosives. A third security source said there were chemicals stored in the area.

Footage of the blast shared by residents on social media showed a column of smoke rising from the port district followed by an enormous blast. Those filming what initially appeared to be a big blaze were thrown backwards by the shock of the explosion. At least 10 bodies were taken to hospitals, a security source and a medical source told Reuters. The Lebanese Red Cross said hundreds of people were taken hospitals for treatment.

Some witnesses said she saw heavy grey smoke near the port area and then heard an explosion and saw flames and black smoke: “All the downtown area windows are smashed and there are wounded people walking around. It is total chaos.”