NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed shock at the loss of lives in a massive explosion that rocked Beirut and said India's thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families and the injured.
More than 70 people were killed and 3,000 injured in the explosion in the Lebanese capital on Tuesday that flattened much of the city's port. The sudden devastation overwhelmed a country already struggling with both the coronavirus pandemic and an economic crisis: Beirut hospitals quickly filled beyond capacity, pleading for blood supplies and generators to keep their lights on.
Witnesses reported seeing a strange orange-colored cloud over the site after the explosion. Orange clouds of toxic nitrogen dioxide gas often accompany an explosion involving nitrates.
"Shocked and saddened by the large explosion in Beirut city leading to loss of life and property. Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families and the injured," the Prime Minister's Office said in a tweet quoting Modi.