Blast death toll crosses 100 as Beirut wakes up to scenes of rubble and damage

AgenciesDohaA huge blast at Beirut port that devastated entire neighbourhoods of the city has killed more than 100 people and injured over 4,000, the Lebanese Red Cross said Wednesday."Until now over 4,000 people have been injured and over 100 have lost their lives. Our teams are still conducting search and rescue operations in the surrounding areas," a statement said.Lebanon woke up Wednesday to scenes of massive damage at Beirut's port and nearby areas in the centre of the country's capital.Dozens of damaged cars lined the main highway, apartment buildings were surrounded by shattered glass, and some people slept without windows."This is horrific... this is not something usual," said one man who was sweeping the glass from in front of his apartment.A Lebanese army officer at the scene, who requested anonymity as they were not permitted to speak, said there are more casualties still buried under the rubble inside the port.Workers started to remove some of the rubble to open roads, and also to remove damage from nearby streets which stretched to the famous Gemayzeh street, home to most of the city's pubs and Beirut's usual bustling nightlife.The blast, which wounded more than 3,000 people, took place as Lebanon is struggling through its worst economic crisis since the country's 1975-1990 civil war ended.The Lebanese cabinet is expected to meet in an emergency meeting Wednesday after Lebanon's Higher Defence Council declared Beirut a "disaster city" and recommended a two-week state of emergency.Authorities are still investigating the cause of the explosions, but Lebanon's internal security chief said the area was housing highly explosive materials.Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab vowed to punish the people responsible for the blasts.He said it was "unacceptable" that a shipment of approximately 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate was stored in a warehouse in Beirut's port for six years without safety measures.