Moscow has announced that a mobile hospital will be deployed in Beirut to aid the victims of the horrific blast that rocked the Lebanese capital yesterday. Russian planes will also be sent to help Beirut recover from the tragic incident.

"Planes from the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations will deliver a mobile hospital, medics, and emergency service troops, as well as Rospotrebnadzor [consumer rights watchdog] experts with a lab for diagnosing the coronavirus infection", an official statement said, adding that five aircraft will be heading to Lebanon.

"All the experts will have special suits and protective gear, taking into consideration the COVID-19 situation", the ministry noted.

The Lebanese Prime Minister said earlier that the blast could have been caused by an explosion that took place in 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that was stored in the port "without any safety measures."