Dozens killed, thousands wounded in Lebanese capital Beirut on Tuesday (August 4).

Lebanese authorities have said at least 78 people have been killed and some 3,700 wounded in a massive explosion at the port in the capital, Beirut.

The explosion sent shockwaves across the city, causing widespread damage even on the outskirts of the capital.

The cause of the explosion was not immediately clear. Officials linked the explosion to some 2,700 tonnes of confiscated ammonium nitrate that were being stored in a warehouse at the port for six years.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun assembled the country's High Defence Council following the explosion.

Here are the latest updates:
The death toll from the massive blast at a port warehouses near central Beirut has risen to 78, with over 4,000 wounded.

Officials said they expected the death toll to rise further after Tuesday's blast as emergency workers dug through rubble to rescue people and remove the dead.
The explosion sent shockwaves across the city

President Michel Aoun called for an emergency cabinet meeting on Wednesday and said a two-week state of emergency should be declared.

US President Donald Trump said the huge explosion that shook Beirut appeared to be a "terrible attack."

"We have a very good relationship with the people of Lebanon and we will be there to help. It looks like a terrible attack," Trump told reporters at the White House.

"I've met with some of our great generals and they just seem to feel that this was not some kind of manufacturing explosion type of an event ... They seem to think it was an attack. It was a bomb of some kind."

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said one of its ships docked at the port was damaged in the explosion, leaving a number of its personnel wounded, including some in critical condition.

UNIFIL said it was transporting the wounded peacekeepers to the nearest hospitals and was assessing the situation, including the scale of the impact on its personnel.

"We are with the people and the Government of Lebanon during this difficult time and stand ready to help and provide any assistance and support," Major General Del Col, UNIFIL head of mission and force commander, said in a statement.