NBC NEWS CHIEF CORRESPONDENT
RICHARD ENGEL IS TRACKING THE
VERY LATEST DEVELOPMENTS FROM
LONDON.
RICHARD, WHAT DO WE KNOW?
>> Reporter: WELL, WE KNOW RIGHT
NOW IN BEIRUT THERE IS A
CHEMICAL SMELL IN THE AIR.
THE U.S. EMBASSY IS WARNING
PEOPLE TO STAY INSIDE, TO WEAR A
MASK, IF POSSIBLE.
STAY INSIDE IS DIFFICULT RIGHT
NOW.
SO MANY OF THE WINDOWS HAVE BEEN
BLOWN OUT IN BEIRUT.
SO MANY OF THE DOORS BLOWN OFF
OF THEIR FRAMES.
THIS IS BELIEVED TO BE A
CHEMICAL EXPLOSION, ACCORDING TO
SEVERAL LEBANESE OFFICIALS.
IT WAS IN THE MAIN PORT.
IT STARTED OUT WITH A FIRE.
THERE WAS -- SOME PEOPLE HEARD
AN EXPLOSION, AND THEY SAW A
LARGE FIRE IN THE PORT AREA.
PEOPLE STARTED TRAINING THEIR
CELL PHONES ON IT, AS THERE WAS
A LARGE CLOUD OF SMOKE THAT WAS
GOING INTO THE SKY.
AND THEN THE FIRE APPARENTLY SET
OFF THIS SECONDARY EXPLOSION,
AND ACCORDING TO LOCAL MEDIA
REPORTS, THERE WERE 2,700 TONS
OF CHEMICAL AGENTS THAT WERE
STORED IN THIS FACILITY.
EXACTLY WHAT KIND OF CHEMICALS
REMAIN UNCLEAR.
THERE ARE CONFLICTING REPORTS,
BUT THEY HAVE BEEN DESCRIBED AS
NITRATES.
AND THEY APPARENTLY HAD BEEN IN
THE STORAGE FACILITY, TONS AND
TONS OF NITRATES OR SOME OTHER
CHEMICALS FOR YEARS.
THE LEBANESE PRIME MINISTER SAID
THEY WERE THERE FOR AT LEAST SIX
YEARS, AND HE’S CALLING FOR AN
INVESTIGATION, WHY THESE
COMBUSTIBLE, TOXIC CHEMICALS
WERE BEING KEPT IN THE CENTER OF
THE CITY, AND THEN WHY THIS
MASSIVE EXPLOSION DETONATED AT
THE PORT AND SENT A SHOCKWAVE
THAT RAN ALL ACROSS BEIRUT.
PEOPLE COULD HEAR IT, THEY COULD
FEEL IT IN THE CITY.
NOW THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT THE
AFTER EFFECTS.
I JUST SPOKE WITH A FRIEND AND
COLLEAGUE OF MINE IN BEIRUT.
HE SAID PEOPLE ARE TERRIFIED
BECAUSE THEY CAN SMELL IT.
HE SAYS HIS LUNGS HURT BECAUSE
OF THIS, AND HE’S TRYING TO PUT
PLASTIC UP OVER HIS BROKEN
WINDOW FRAMES.
AND EVEN IN OTHER PARTS OF THE
CITY, EVERYONE IS NOW FACING A
SITUATION WHERE THERE IS GAS IN
THE AIR, AND THEY DON’T KNOW HOW
MANY PEOPLE WERE KILLED OR
INJURED.
THOSE REPORTS HAVE BEEN GOING UP
BY THE HOUR.
>> RICHARD, DO THEY SUSPECT FOUL
PLAY HERE OR IS THIS JUST AN
ACCIDENT?
>> THEY SUSPECT CORRUPTION. THEY THINK THAT THERE WAS A
THEY THINK THAT THERE WAS A
REASON WHY -- SOURCES ARE SAYING
THAT THIS WAS AN ACT OF
TERRORISM.
BUT OBVIOUSLY LEBANON HAS A LONG
HISTORY WITH ISRAEL.
FOUGHT A WAR WITH ISRAEL IN
2006.
ISRAEL CAME OUT QUITE QUICKLY
AND SAID IT HAD NOTHING TO DO
WITH THIS.
ISRAEL HAS CARRIED OUT ATTACKS
IN BEIRUT BEFORE, BUT NOTHING ON
THIS KIND OF SCALE, RIGHT EVEN
DURING THE PEAK OF WAR.
SO THE SUSPICION NOW, AS THE
LEBANESE PRIME MINISTER WAS
INDICATING, IS THAT THIS --
SOMETHING WENT WRONG, THAT
SOMETHING SHOULDN’T -- SH
MATERIAL SHOULDN’T HAVE BEEN
THERE, SHOULDN’T HAVE BEEN
STORED THE WAY IT WAS, AND THEY
WANT TO KNOW WHY.
BUT FIRST, THEY HAVE TO DEAL
WITH CONTAINING THE SITUATION.
HOSPITALS ARE TURNING PEOPLE
AWAY.
THEY PUT OUT A NATIONWIDE APPEAL
FOR ALL TYPES OF BLOOD.
THE RED CROSS HAS CALLED FOR ALL
AMBULANCES IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY
TO HEAD TO BEIRUT, SO THEY CAN