National mourning in Lebanon as death toll in Beirut exceeds 100

The country will observe an official period of mourning for three days from today.

At least 100 people have been killed and more than 4,000 injured as a result of a huge explosion in Beirut, on Tuesday. 

The whole city was shaken by the blast, which began with a fire at the port which exploded into a high cloud.

President Michel Aoun said 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate had been stored unsafely in a warehouse for six years.

He scheduled an urgent cabinet meeting for today, and said a two-week state of emergency should be declared.

The country will observe an official period of mourning for three days from today.

Lebanon's Red Cross said: "What we are witnessing is a huge catastrophe. There are victims and casualties everywhere. Over 100 have lost their lives. Our teams are still conducting search and rescue operations in the surrounding areas."