BEIRUT (AP) – A stockpile of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate set off a massive blast that rocked Lebanon’s capital city Tuesday, killing more than 130 people and wounding thousands.
The chemical had been left sitting in a warehouse ever since it was confiscated from an impounded cargo ship in 2013.
Satellite photos show the extent of the damage at the explosion site:
The explosion was powerful enough to be felt in Cyprus across the Eastern Mediterranean and blasted buildings for miles around the blast site in Beirut.
Two days later, some 300,000 people — more than 12% of Beirut’s population — can’t return to their homes, officials estimate. Damaged hospitals are still struggling to deal with the wounded and officials have estimated losses at $10 billion to $15 billion.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.