Huge Beirut explosion leaves buildings destroyed and 'high number of injuries'

mirror.co.uk:

Beirut has been rocked by a huge explosion ahead of the verdict in a trial for the killing of ex-PM Rafik Hariri. Reports say the blast in the capital of Lebanon took part in the port area of the city and left people covered in glass and blood.

The Lebanese health minister has reported a "high number of injuries". There are unconfirmed reports of a second blast. Lebanon's state news agency NNA and two security sources said the blast happened at warehouses housing explosives.

It was not immediately clear what caused the blast or what kind of explosives were in the warehouses. Dramatic footage on social media shows the scale of the blast as it rocks the city.