Beirut Explosion Update: Ammonium Nitrate Stored In Warehouse Possible Cause, 250,000 People Homeless

Approximately 2,700 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse near Beirut's cargo port has emerged as the possible cause for Tuesday's, Aug. 4, deadly explosion that killed at least 100 people in the Lebanese capital.

Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab said the chemical compound, used in explosives and fertilizers, was stockpiled in the warehouse for six years without "preventive measures" to safeguard it.

"I will not rest until we find the person responsible for what happened, to hold him accountable and impose the most severe penalties," he said. However, cause for the ignition was not clear.

Ammonium nitrate has been used in several major bombings in the past including the 1995 attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City which killed at least 170 people and injured hundreds.

Meanwhile, Tuesday’s explosion wiped out several streets, damaging buildings and injuring at least 4,000 people. Latest reports stated at least 250,000 people have been left homeless by the massive blast. Several photos and videos captured the scale of destruction.

Calling it a "great national disaster," Diab said, "The images and videos we see truly express this tragedy and translate the scope of the calamity that has affected Lebanon. Beirut is grieving… All of Lebanon is disaster-torn. Lebanon is going through a quite ordeal that could only be faced with national unity and solidarity among all Lebanese from all backgrounds and regions. We are going through a disaster that could only be overcome with determination and tenacity to face this serious challenge and its destructive consequences."

"What happened today will not fly by without accountability. All those responsible for this catastrophe will pay the price," Diab said as he addressed the nation post the deadly explosion.

As the death toll is expected to rise, several world leaders have offered their support.

CNN reported Russia will be sending a team of doctors and five planes of medical equipment.