Two Egyptian nationals have been killed in a massive warehouse explosion that hit the Lebanese capital, Beirut, on Tuesday, the Egyptian foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. A large blast at the city's port damaged buildings across the capital and sent a giant mushroom cloud into the sky, with Lebanese officials blaming a highly explosive material, ammonium nitrate, stored in a warehouse for six years. The explosion has killed at least 100 people and injured more than 4,000, according to Lebanon's Red Cross. The Egyptian embassy in Lebanon will take all necessary measures to transfer the bodies of the two Egyptian victims -- Ibrahim Abdel-Mohsen El-Qaffas and Aly Ismail Shehata -- back home, the ministry said. Another Egyptian national, Roshdy Ahmed El-Gamal, has been reported missing, with some of his friends reporting he was present near the scene of the blast, it added. The Egyptian embassy said it was following up on the case with the Lebanese authorities, while calling on anyone who has information about El-Gamal to contact it. The embassy said it would continue its efforts to ensure the safety of the Egyptian community in Lebanon and provide them with necessary assistance. An Egyptian field hospital in Beirut is providing assistance to the victims of the devastating blast, the ministry said earlier, adding that the facility started to receive a number of cases on Tuesday. Egyptian officials have been in contact with the Lebanese side to identify their needs, it added. Early on Wednesday, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi promised to offer full support to Lebanon during a phone call with his Lebanese counterpart Michel Aoun. “El-Sisi affirmed the solidarity of the government and people of Egypt with its brothers in Lebanon, and the willingness to harness all capabilities to assist and support Lebanon in its ordeal,” the Egyptian presidency said.
