The port was the target of an Israeli-attributed cyberattack in 2020. Following the explosion, black billowing smoke was seen in social media footage.
Prior to the explosion, reddish-colored smoke was seen rising from the fire in other footage. This implies that a chemical substance had a role in the explosion.
Others showed glass thrown from structures hundreds or kilometers from the explosion’s core.
State TV video showed ambulances coming as doctors hurried one victim on a stretcher as the wounded crowded into at least one hospital.
