Beirut Explosion Aftermath Photos Reveal Colossal 500-Foot-Wide Crater

New images from above the Port of Beirut have emerged showing an enormous 500-foot-wide crater at the epicenter of an explosion which happened Tuesday at 6 p.m. local time in Lebanon's capital.

As the smoke dissipated from the blast, satellites have been able to provide a different vantage point, showing the extent of the devastation. Aurora Intel has posted images to Twitter courtesy of Planet Labs, Maxar, and Airbus Space.

In the latest imagery it's clear to see the circular section of land that was blasted away in the explosion, along with boats, and all the buildings in the surrounding area.

Drone footage by Ahmad Mahdi Photography shows the 3D damage at the Port of Beirut.

Twitter user and digital investigator Nick Waters estimated the blast at 150 meters long or just under 500 feet.

More than 100 people have died and at least 4,000 are injured as a result of the explosion, which so far is believed to be an accident caused by unsafely stored ammonium nitrate. The highly explosive substance is used for making fertilizers and missiles.

Some 2,750 metric tons of the chemical compound went up in the blast, which was registered by U.S. Geological Survey instruments as a 3.3 magnitude earthquake. "The reported magnitude is not directly comparable to an earthquake of similar size because the explosion occurred at the surface where seismic waves are not as efficiently generated," USGS said.

Imagery has shown countless buildings decimated as a result of the eruption, plus cars in the area flipped, windows blown out and damage as far as six miles away from the shock of the explosion.

"This is terrifying..." said Twitter user Sarah Abdallah. "An entire part of the land has been pulverized. The Port of #Beirut - #Lebanon's main economic lifeline - has literally been turned into a crater."

First came a smaller explosion, with a plume of smoke and flashing lights. But witnesses felt the force of the second eruption around 150 miles away, in neighboring Israel and Jordan.

Rescuers are still discovering casualties from the blast and the local hospitals are inundated with new patients, while already dealing with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

Lebanon Prime Minister Hassan Diab declared that 5 August would be a national day of mourning for Lebanon.

President Donald Trump yesterday offered his condolences: "Let me begin by sending America's deepest sympathies to the people of Lebanon, where reports indicate that many, many people were killed, hundreds more were very badly wounded in a large explosion in Beirut. Our prayers go out to all the victims and their families. The United States is ready to assist Lebanon."

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