-- The blasts hit the Port of Beirut at around 6:10 p.m. Tuesday, killing at least 100 people and injuring 4,000 others so far.

-- The causes of the blasts remained unknown, but Interior Minister Mohammad Fahmi said the 2,700 tons of explosive chemicals stored at Port of Beirut may have led to the explosions.

-- The explosions have dealt another huge blow to Lebanon, which is struggling to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.

BEIRUT, Aug. 5  -- Two huge explosions rocked the Lebanese capital Beirut on Tuesday, killing at least 100 people and injuring 4,000 others in a toll that officials expect to rise.

The international community has expressed solidarity and sympathy with Lebanon over the deadly explosions as rescue workers continued their search for people missing under the rubble of collapsed buildings.

Damaged buildings are seen after the huge explosions at the port of Beirut, Lebanon, Aug. 4, 2020. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

DEADLY EXPLOSIONS

The blasts hit the Port of Beirut at around 6:10 p.m. local time (1610 GMT), shaking buildings all over the city, shattering glass in most areas, damaging vehicles on the streets, while causing massive casualties and damage.

Hours after the explosions, the capital witnessed the Lebanese Red Cross and Civil Defense teams rushing to the site to rescue those buried in the rubble, ambulances shuttling between hospitals to deliver the injured, and local residents walking through the streets searching for relatives.

Local hospitals, having reached their capacity in a short time, urged the public to donate blood to save the injured.

Many of the injured are still without treatment, Lebanese Health Minister Hamad Hassan said.

The number of casualties is expected to rise as the counting continues. Local media outlets have been announcing the names of hundreds of people still missing, in the hope of helping their families find them.