2 Belgian embassy employees suffer injuries in Beirut explosion

Two employees of the Belgian Embassy in Lebanon and members of their families have suffered injuries as a result of a massive explosion in Beirut earlier on Tuesday, the Belgian foreign minister Philippe Goffin said.

Beirut [Lebanon], Aug 5 (Sputnik/ANI): Two employees of the Belgian Embassy in Lebanon and members of their families have suffered injuries as a result of a massive explosion in Beirut earlier on Tuesday, the Belgian foreign minister Philippe Goffin said. "The destruction caused by the explosion in Beirut is enormous. Our embassy building has been damaged. Two embassy officials and two of their family members were slightly injured by glass shards," Goffin wrote on Twitter.

The foreign minister added that he has contacted the Lebanese Embassy in Belgium to offer his condolences to the victims, adding that Brussels will offer any possible assistance. Staff members at the German Embassy in Beirut were also injured in the blast, according to the German Foreign Office.

"We are shocked by the images from #Beirut. Members of our Embassy's staff are among the injured. Our thoughts are with the families of the victims. Germany stands by #Lebanon in these difficult moments. We are working to offer immediate support," the ministry wrote on Twitter. A massive blast rocked the Lebanese capital at 17:11 local time (14:11 GMT). The epicenter of the explosion was the port of Beirut, and according to the city's governor Marwan Abboud, half of the buildings in the Lebanese capital have been damaged.

The death toll from the blast has continued to rise throughout the evening and has surpassed 63, the Lebanese health minister Hamad Hassan said during an address that was broadcast by several domestic television channels. As many as 2,750 others have suffered injuries. (Sputnik/ANI)