President Trump described explosions that occurred in Beirut on Tuesday and killed at least 78 people as an “attack,” saying his military and national security advisers had indicated to him that it was likely a bomb.
“I met with some of our great generals, and they just seemed to feel that it was – this was not some kind of manufacturing explosion type of event,” Trump said at a White House news conference. “According to them – they would know better than I would – but they seem to think it was an attack, it was a bomb of some kind.”
Beirut was rocked by a massive explosion early Tuesday evening local time that has left 78 dead and at least 4,000 injured, according to The New York Times.
The Lebanese government is investigating the source of the explosion, but officials suggested the blast occurred when a warehouse stored with explosive materials caught on fire.
The Times reported that a large stock of ammonium nitrate was stored where the explosions occurred.
Lebanon’s prime minister, Hassan Diab, called the explosion a “catastrophe” and promised to hold those accountable to justice, saying there have been “facts about this dangerous warehouse that has been there since 2014,” and said an investigation will take place, according to a copy of his remarks reported by Lebanese state media NNA.
