By Tara John, Melissa Macaya, Mike Hayes, Veronica Rocha, Meg Wagner, Joshua Berlinger, Adam Renton, Zamira Rahim and Ed Upright, CNN
From CNN’s Hamdi Alkhshali in Atlanta
The explosion that rocked Beirut on Tuesday dealt considerable damage to the Baabda Palace, the official residence of the Lebanese president, according to Lebanese state media.
The blast shattered the windows of hallways, entrances and salons, Lebanese state news agency NNA reported on Tuesday. “Doors and windows in several of the palace’ wings were dislocated,” it reported.
“No one was hurt,” NNA also reported.
From CNN's Alessandra Massi and Nada AlTaher
Around 400 injured people have been taken to the emergency unit of the Hotel Dieu hospital after a blast rocked Beirut on Tuesday, a registered nurse on duty at the facility told CNN.
The severity of the injuries was not immediately clear.
From CNN's Mia Alberti
The explosion that rocked Beirut on Tuesday afternoon was felt in the neighboring island of Cyprus, around 240 kilometers away – or about 150 miles — from Lebanon, according to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC).
"We received a number of reports from Cyprus which seem related to this explosion, reporting noise and rattling windows," EMSC tweeted.
Several social media users also wrote on Twitter they felt the explosion in their homes in Cyprus.
"The explosion was felt in Limassol, Cyprus, our windows shaked (sic)," Elias Mavrokefalos tweeted. "I checked to see if we were being bombed," another Limassol resident tweeted. Another person said she also heard the explosion and felt a "light tremor" in the city of Nicosia.
Cyprus' Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides also tweeted that he's in "communication with the Lebanese government and have informed of Cyprus’ immediate readiness to assist Lebanon."
From CNN's Hamdi Alkhshali
The Lebanese Red Cross has made an “urgent call” for blood donations from all blood types to help treat those injured in the blast in the port of Beirut today, the organization said on Twitter.
Read the tweet:
A massive explosion ripped through the Lebanese capital Beirut on Tuesday, injuring many people and blowing out windows in buildings across the city.
If you're just reading in now, here's what we know about the blast so far:
Eyewitness Bachar Ghattas described dire scenes of chaos in the Lebanese capital after Tuesday's blast, calling it "like an apocalypse."
"You can see injured people all over the streets in Beirut, glass all over the place, cars are damaged, it is like an apocalypse," he said in a phone call with CNN's Becky Anderson.
It is very, very frightening what is happening right now and people are freaking out. The emergency services are overwhelmed."
"Beirut port is totally destroyed," he added about the site of the blast."We don't have a port."
From CNN’s Hamdi Alkhshali in Atlanta
The Lebanese Red Cross is diverting ambulances from North Lebanon, Bekaa and South Lebanon to Beirut in order to provide support with the rescue and evacuation of patients, it said in a tweet on Tuesday.
“Beirut Port explosion: all available Lebanese Red Cross ambulances from North Lebanon, Bekaa and South Lebanon are being dispatched to Beirut to support with rescue and evacuation of patients,” the tweet read.
From CNN's Maegan Vazquez
The White House is monitoring the explosion in Beirut, press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said.
“That was breaking as I came out here and safe to say we’re monitoring the situation,” McEnany said.
Lebanese authorities said there were a large number of injuries following an explosion near Beirut port earlier Tuesday.
In an earlier statement, the US State Department said it is also “closely following reports of an explosion in Beirut” and “working closely with local authorities to determine if any U.S. citizens were affected.”
Lebanese President Michel Aoun has directed all the armed forces to deal with the repercussions of the blast in Beirut and to conduct patrols in impacted areas and in the suburbs to ensure security, state-run National News Agency said.
What we know: Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab declared Wednesday a day of national mourning in the aftermath of the massive explosion in the Beirut port area, the national broadcaster TeleLiban reported.
