Following a massive blast in Beirut that killed over 100 people and injured another 4,000 people, the head of LAU Hospital in Beirut, Lebanon has called for full evacuation in the capital city due to the dangerous and toxic materials in the air.
The Lebanese capital was rocked on Tuesday afternoon by an explosion. The authorities have confirmed that the blast was caused by around 2,700 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored at the city's cargo port.
The nitrogen oxide in the air, which is the main and most dangerous pollutant produced by an ammonium nitrate explosion, can irritate the respiratory system.
The gases in Beirut will likely present a health risk to residents until they naturally dissipate, which could take several days depending on the local weather.
Lebanon struggling with Covid, economic & financial crisis
The sudden devastation overwhelmed Lebanon's already struggling with both the coronavirus pandemic and a severe economic and financial crisis.
For hours after the blast, the most destructive in all of Lebanon's troubled history, ambulances rushed in from around the country to carry away the dozens wounded.
For blocks around the port, residents from the city staggered through streets lined with overturned cars and littered with rubble from shattered buildings.
