the death toll rises in lebanon — at least 135 people have died, more than 5,000 have been injured by the massive blast at beirut‘s port. dozens of people are still missing after the explosion blamed on almost 3000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored unsafely for years in a warehouse. and this is what is left of the port. almost all of the lebanon's food was imported through here — there are now fears of food shortages. i lived the war and never i seen a day like that moment. really, it was terrible. already the health care system is about to collapse and then you add this to it. and now the clear up begins — more than a quarter of a million people have been left homeless in the city.

we'll be live beirut, where a state of emergency has been declared. also tonight... pubs and restaurants in aberdeen close as lockdown restrictions begin again amid a spike in cases. the inquest into the death of caroline flack hears that the tv presenter was only going to be cautioned for assault, but police pushed for charges to be brought. allegations of mistreatment — the british gymnasts who trained at one of the country's top clubs speak out about their experiences. and england's cricketers make a promising start against pakistan, before rain interrupts the opening day's play. and coming up on bbc news... all the latest reports, results, interviews and features from the bbc sports centre.

good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. rescue workers are searching for dozens of people still missing after the massive explosion in beirut yesterday. at least 135 people were killed and more than 5,000 were injured. large parts of the city were devastated by the force of the blast. the red cross is co—ordinating with the lebanese health ministry to set up new morgues and a two—week state of emergency has been declared. more than a quarter of a million people have had to leave their homes. the blast was felt on the island of cyprus, 150 miles away in the eastern mediterranean. they thought it was an earthquake. the whole of beirut was shaken by the explosion at the port. almost all of lebanon's food is imported through there. it's been compeletley destroyed. the country's president said the blast was caused by more

than 2,500 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, which is used as a fertiliser in farming and an explosive. it had been stored for the past six years, unsafely, in a warehouse. some port officials have been placed under house arrest whilst an investigation is carried out. from beirut, rami ruhayem reports. this is what is left after a devastating explosion that shook beirut to its core. and this is what the surrounding neighbourhoods look like, smashed up by the seismic shock wave caused by the explosion. translation: i saw a lot of disgusting scenes. dead people, people moaning and screaming whilst carrying their children, people who have lost their children. 0thers looking for their mum or sister. it was horrific. this is a sample of some of the destruction wrought on beirut by yesterday's blast. this neighbourhood here is very close to the site of the blast.

many of the buildings here have balconies that overlook the port of beirut, so people who would have been standing on their balconies or near the windows, stretching their necks to catch a glimpse of the fire when the blast struck. if you were here when this happened, where you were standing would have made a difference between life and death, between a superficial or a very serious injury. a few people remain in their homes. many others are here to take some belongings, lock up and leave. fabio is one of them. honestly, i kind of feel numb because, after the revolution, the capital control, the collapse, the hyperinflation, everything that happens, just, in a series, i mean... any normal person wouldn't have any kind of hope because this is rock bottom, there is no down. sadly, you have to admit it, that we really screwed up.

paul has two pharmacies on this street, both thoroughly damaged by the force of the blast. i'm a pharmacist since 35 years. i lived the war and never seen a day like that moment. really, it was terrible, terrible. at the hospitals, the initial chaos has subsided but the pressure is still on. translation: the blast decimated our stocks. we used up in two days what we normally use in a month or two. all of beirut gets it material from the port and our hospital gets all its needs from the port of beirut. the port of beirut, where the explosion took place, has been almost obliterated. it is feared some are still trapped beneath the rubble of the silos, leaving relatives desperate for news. for lebanon, this feels like a crippling wound.

to lose its support right in the middle of the worst economic crisis in generations. even after the shock subsides, the impact will be hard to fathom. rami ruhayem, bbc news, beirut. let's go live to beirut tonight, and speak to our correspondent carine torbey. the pictures really are staggering, what is the situation tonight? well, support is behind me, this is where the explosion happened. —— the port is behind me. there is no electricity and so many parts of the capital so i am not sure if it is clear, but the damage is visible where i am standing, and it is in every street, debris everywhere, smashed cars, balconies falling from buildings, electricity cables

hanging from rooftops, but mostly a lot of houses which at the moment are absolutely not habitable. people will not be able to return to their houses. these are probably tens of thousands of people who have become homeless in a matter of seconds. we have seen lots of community support and lots of people offering their places to those who cannot return to their homes, but this is not a sustainable solution. the government should deal with this as a matter of priority. it has lots of priorities to deal with at the moment but this remains one of the top and most alarming issues at the moment, the number of homeless and the number of people who have simply found themselves without home from one day to another. carine torbey in beirut, thank you. so almost 3,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate had been stored in beirut‘s port since 2014, when it was taken from a ship off the coast.

the chemical is made all over the world and is relatively cheap to buy. but storing it can be a problem, and it has been associated with very serious industrial accidents in the past. 0ur science editor david shukman explains what the chemical is — and how it can cause so much damage. it began as a very large blaze, a towering grey column and flashes from what looked like fireworks. but worse was to follow. a massive explosion, and as it erupted, an important clue emerged in the colour of the smoke. a reddish—brown, which meant that ammonium nitrate was involved vast quantities. so what is this substance, ammonium nitrate? well, it's a chemical mainly used as a fertiliser. farmers in the uk and all over the world apply it to their fields. and on its own there's no danger, but this powder can also be used as an ingredient for explosives. it was favoured by the ira.

this was the london docklands bombing in 1996. and scotland yard persuaded farmers to guard their supplies carefully. we did a great deal of work informing farmers, informing those that had access to it and stored it, how dangerous it was, how it should be stored so if there was an explosion it wouldn't propagate and grow into a huge explosion like we saw yesterday. why is ammonium nitrate so potentially dangerous? well, in certain conditions it can become unstable. this vast explosion in china five years ago involved a quarter of the quantity that erupted yesterday. the explosion in beirut happened in the worst possible place, right in the port, with a lot of buildings around, and the impact would have been felt in several different ways. first, shock wave, leading to a sudden increase in pressure which would have killed people nearby. then a wave of debris, chunks of concrete and glass hurled through the air

may be a mile away. and then a cloud of toxic gases and dust carried by the wind right over the city. so, why was the ammonium nitrate there in the first place? in the aftermath, there are no clear answers. all of the port's officials are now under house arrest while an investigation starts. whatever happened, a deliberate detonation cannot be ruled out but nor can neglect and carelessness. there is probably enough problems within the infrastructure of lebanon to explain poor storage practices, poor chemical accounting. you probably have all the ingredients in there already without it being attributed to malice. seen from space, this was the port before the explosion. now it lies in ruins, whole buildings wiped out and the shocking sight of a large ship on its side. whatever the cause, the recovery will take years. david shukman, bbc news.

the blast comes at a difficult time for lebanon, which is not only trying to curb the spread of the coronavirus, but is also struggling with in an unprecedented economic crisis. 0ur middle east editorjeremy bowen looks at the troubles facing the country. the explosion flattened most of beirut docks. lebanon imports almost everything it needs. now its biggest port is out of commission. the force of the blast was devastating. if lebanon was rich, well governed and secure, it would find it hard to deal with this crisis. but it has none of those strengths. the mayor inspected the damage. he said reconstruction would take billions of dollars. that is money lebanon just does not have. lebanon's president, michel aoun, has declared three days of mourning. many lebanese are sick of all their leaders. some former warlords, like the president, who have been at the top for decades.

lebanon's youth want change. before and sometimes during the pandemic there have been public protests and rage against corruption and incompetence at the top. some of them said they wanted a revolution. the fear is that lebanon will become a failed state again. hundreds of thousands had been pushed into poverty by the collapse of the currency and hyperinflation, and all of this in the most unstable region in the world. lebanon is surrounded by enemies, and the kind of friends no country wants. to the south, there is israel. this time they have offered aid but before that the talk was of border tension and perhaps even another war. then there is a syria, where the assad regime has always regarded lebanon as its back yard. that lebanese have absorbed

about a million and a half syrian refugees, that is the same as britain taking about 15 million. and iran is close to the lebanese shia militia hezbollah, which is the most powerful political and military organisation in the country. the medical emergency is extreme. first covid—19, now three hospitals in beirut have been put out of action by the explosions. i saw all the war in lebanon. this, this blow is as important as the 11th september blow in the united states. for us, i think this is very big blow. we need really international support. rescue teams have arrived in beirut from france. others, and international financial aid, will follow. put lebanon has deep structural problems that money, without reform, will not be able to fix. in the wreckage of the runied docks are the ruins of the granary that contained vital supplies of imported wheat. lebanon sees itself

as a land of plenty. right now, that is a distant fantasy. jeremy bowen, bbc news. pubs, cafes and restaurants have been ordered to close in aberdeen this evening after a spike in coronavirus cases. 5a cases have been recorded in the cluster. residents have been told they can't visit each other‘s homes or travel more than five miles from where they live, unless for work or education, as lockdown restrictions are reimposed. 0ur scotland correspondent lorna gordon reports. aberdeen, back into a local lockdown. more than 200,000 people living here facing restrictions on what they can do and where they can go. this, a last pint poured in a granite city pub before, like other venues, at five o'clock it had to close. instead of closing down aberdeen, maybe close the two or three bars, that's fair enough. some people, this is the only enjoyment they get.

it's fair enough but i think it's absolutely terrible they are having to go through all this again. what can you do? the first confirmed cases were traced back to this city centre bar. 5a people have now tested positive. more than 30 venues linked to the emerging cluster. scotland's first minister warns there may now be some community transmission of the virus in the area. we are at a stage of this pandemic where extreme caution is necessary and also, in my view, sensible. i'm also mindful of the need to act quickly and decisively if we are to succeed in our aim of keeping transmission as close to elimination levels as possible. pictures of queues outside an aberdeen pub at the weekend shocked many. a warning from the police, more officers will be on patrol to enforce the new regulations if required. to deal with a small minority who decide they don't want to do so and put others' health at risk, we will clearly

and undeniably enforce the law when it comes to that very small minority of people. the restrictions will be reviewed in a week's time but nicola sturgeon says the measures are scotland's biggest wake—up call since the early days of the pandemic and are needed to give schools the best possible chance to reopen. lorna gordon, bbc news. the children's commissioner for england says schools must be prioritised over pubs and shops in planning for future coronavirus lockdowns. it comes amid fresh warnings from a top scientist, professor neil ferguson, that reopening secondary schools could see a signifiant rise in the virus' ability to spread. here's our education correspondent elaine dunkley. this is a primary school on the whitchurch estate in birkenhead which is open all year round during term time and in holidays. this head teacher agrees with the children's commissioner that schools should be

the last to close and says it should be up to schools to make the decision on whether it is safe to open. we know the cases in the area so open. we know the cases in the area soi open. we know the cases in the area so i think it would be really helpful if it was done on an individual basis by authorities so we could monitor our own areas and then put things in place and action things from that. there are concerns about how much we can reopen society without a resurgence of coronavirus. this leaves a question obit schools are reopening. some scientists say the risk of transmission amongst primary school children is relatively low but there was concern about secondary schools opening. the evidence is still not certain but it looks like older teenagers can transmitjust as looks like older teenagers can transmit just as well as adults. so the risk then is that big schools, comprehensives, universities, colleges, link a lot and connect the social network which social distancing measures have

deliberately disconnected. there are difficult decisions and trade—offs between the economy and education. teachers, parents and pupils were hoping at the end of the summer holiday would bring clarity and normality but with continued fears around the spread of coronavirus, that feels a long way off. we do need the pubs and restaurants, they have their livelihoods to get on with like we have got to get on with hours. i do think they should be open and shouldn't get close to point out the kids have had enough time off. i think it is important they go back. as long as everybody is sensible, you know, ithink it back. as long as everybody is sensible, you know, i think it is something that we need to learn to live with really. the government says getting children back to school isa says getting children back to school is a national priority. we want all children in school in september including in areas that are subject to local restrictions such as in greater manchester and there are a huge number of measures in place in schools to make sure that children

are safe, schools to make sure that children a re safe, we schools to make sure that children are safe, we minimise the risk of the spread of the virus. schools in scotla nd the spread of the virus. schools in scotland and northern ireland are due to reopen this month and all children are due back to school in england and wales in september but coronavirus has made planning for the future increasingly difficult. elaine dunkley, bbc news. the latest coronavirus data in the uk shows there were 892 new confirmed cases of covid—19 in the latest 2a hour period. the seven—day rolling average is 820 daily cases. you can see from the chart that the number of new cases is rising steadily. 65 deaths were also recorded in that same 2a hour period. it takes the total number of deaths in the uk to 46,364. on average, in the past week, 58 people have died every day from coronavirus. meanwhile, a group of mps has criticsed the government's failure to bring in border restrictions earlier, saying that mistakes accelerated the scale of the pandemic

in the country. ministers insist they were guided by the science. here's our health editor hugh pym. the final ba flight from mainland china to london in late january as concerns about coronavirus began to grow. officials at the time assumed the main risk was people arriving from asia. that proved to be wrong, with a lot more cases coming in from europe. now a committee of mps says in subsequent weeks the government should have implemented much tighter controls. by the time you get to early march, other countries were starting to bring in much stronger border measures, and the uk was very much out on a limb. that alone should have rung alarm bells for ministers, they should have been saying, why is our approach so different? why are we so isolated in our approach in not having border and quarantine measures when so many other countries right now really are? with britons evacuated from wuhan and quarantined in late january, the first border measures were introduced. in february, arrivals from some

countries and northern italy were told to self—isolate if they showed symptoms. in march, all italy arrivals were told self—isolate, whether or not they showed symptoms. crucially, this advice was not extended to spain and france. a day later spanish football fans gathered in liverpool for a champions league fixture. on march 13 all country specific guidance was lifted and people were only told to self—isolate if they had symptoms. at the time, ministers were having to assess whether imposing blankets quarantine restrictions on everyone arising from abroad at heathrow and other major airports would do damage to the economy and whether it would significantly slow transmission of the virus. —— arriving from abroad. officials argued in march if the virus was spreading in the uk anyway, there was no point in restricting people arriving without symptoms. quara ntining wasn't introduced untiljune the 8th. throughout this process we have followed the scientific advice, and scientific advice has been very

clear, is that when you have a lower infection rates in the country, that is the point at which you bring quarantine measures, that is what we did on the 8th june. but some experts agree that more should have been done at an earlier stage. i certainly think there should have been more monitoring of people coming to the uk from areas that were significantly affected by covid. i think what is apparent is even people who were returning from italy who had been asked to self quarantine for 1h days, there was no actual monitoring of that situation to ensure people were doing it. front has begun —— front has been compulsory protesting from those arriving from high—risk countries but uk authority isa high—risk countries but uk authority is a less keen as it might miss some people in early stages of infection. the mother of the television presenter caroline flack has told the inquest into her daughter's death that she was "let down by the authorities" and that she was being subjected to a "show trial" and was "hounded" by the media in the final weeks of her life. the love island host

was found dead at her home in east london in february. helena wilkinson is outside the coroner's court this evening. chris dean flacco broke down in tea rs chris dean flacco broke down in tears as her statement was read out —— christine flack. the court heard how caroline flack had been charged with assaulting her partner, which she denied, an inquest heard about the distress and anxiety the presenter felt after she had the distress and anxiety the presenterfelt after she had been arrested. her sister, jodie, told the court the presented tried to ta ke the court the presented tried to take her own life the day before a court appearance and an ambulance had to be called four times in the months afterwards and a note was found after caroline flack was found deadin found after caroline flack was found dead in which she said she wanted to find harmony with her boyfriend. the inquest he continues tomorrow. thank you. five former gymnasts from one of britain's most successful clubs

have spoken for the first time about how they feel they were mistreated and bullied. the young women all used to train at the city of liverpool gym club and their claims come after a number of other gymnasts around the world made similar allegations about their own treatment and what they say they witnessed as they chased their dreams in the sport. 0ur sports correspondent natalie pirks has this special report. this summer, 0lympic dreams should have been realised. instead, multiple claims of a culture of fear across the whole of gymnastics in this country have been laid bare by those who could no longer stay silent. i'd wake up and feel physically sick. it was not a happy place and it should have been a happy place and it was a sport but we all loved but for me, and i don't know about the others, but it turned into a sport that i absolutely hated. these are the women who say they were left behind in the quest for medal glory. their stories are, by now, all too familiar, and they blame the governing body, british gymnastics, for prioritising the sport over the individuals.

you know, maybe they thought the treatment we were given was working. it produced many champions, many olympians, and maybe british gymnastics thought that is the treatment they deserve. the team of great britain! in 2012, one gym ruled when it came to the british women's team. city of liverpool gym proudly coached four of the five women here but, away from the spotlight, some gymnasts say their experiences of training at that club were a lot different. just made me feel worthless, just turned me into a shell of who i used to be. it has affected me now, really. like, i'm really worried about making friends. gymnasts are well used to pushing through the pain barrier in a physically tough sport but all five women can remember times when they felt it went too far. abbie was 1a when this happened, in 2012. i ended up getting left on the bars and another group came tojoin in on the session i was doing

on the bars. and it turned out that the gymnasts had to speak to their coach and say, "i can't use this bar because there is too much of abbie's blood on it," because it was too slippy. amber's parents say they took her out of the gym shortly after their daughter was hurt at age 11. ijust landed awkward and i heard a click and i thought... i was told to carry on as if nothing had happened but i couldn't carry on. it was up to me to ring my dad to come and pick me up and take me to the hospital where they told me i'd broke my foot in four places. sophie was a three times british champion at 12 and 13 but says that frequent weighing throughout her gymnastics career led to an eating disorder. we were told that parents were not usually allowed to view training and that glass in the doors at the liverpool gym was often covered or the view obscured with screens. my mum, she's been heartbroken. she's actually cried to me and says that she feels like she failed as a parent.

but our parents were probably just as manipulated as we were as gymnasts. british gymnastics urged any gymnast affected by abuse to contact their integrity unit or the nspcc helpline set up for survivors. it added... city of liverpool gym declined to provide a statement they liverpool city council confirmed they had received eight complaints about the gym. it added that city of liverpool gym declined to provide a statement but it is understood they strongly deny any allegations of bullying or mistreatment of athletes. they maintain that no such complaint

or allegation has been made to them and that the welfare and safety of athletes was at all times their first priority. it is clear becoming adults has given these gymnasts and those from different gyms across the country the strength to process what they went through. i miss gymnastics and it has took me the whole year to get used to being coached normally and respected, and, like, being able to have a voice and to learn that i can actually express how i feel without being shut down or shouted at or told that i'm a liar. uk sport is now spearheading an independent investigation into a slew of disturbing allegations. for these women, and countless others, it cannot come soon enough. natalie pirks, bbc news. england began their first test against pakistan in manchester today, with the series being played behind closed doors. the visitors opted to bat but lost two early wickets before rain interrupted play.

they closed the day on 139—2. smile, everyone. barelya smile, everyone. barely a week after the west indies, it was pakistan's turn in the biosecure bubble so how is this for a welcome? injofra archer, england have one of cricket was a great speediest stars as abbott ali discovered to his cost put at the stamp camera got as i will work pakistan's batsmen were wobbling —— abid ali. azhar ali trapped by chris woakes, the captain gone for a duck. one team was enjoying themselves and it wasn't his. but then this man arrived. babar azam is his. but then this man arrived. ba bar azam is pakistan's his. but then this man arrived. babar azam is pakistan's premier batsman and he was soon showing why. a fighting 50 as england started fumbling their lines. shan masood dropped byjos fumbling their lines. shan masood dropped by jos buttler. fumbling their lines. shan masood dropped byjos buttler. frustrated, just a little. then came a lengthy rain delays but it produced perhaps england's finest moment as they

amused themselves by trying to head amused themselves by trying to head a ball into a bin point at the best things really do come to those who wait it seems. andy swiss, bbc news. time for a look at the weather. here's alina jenkins. some of the wettest weather has been in the north and west, in northern ireland and north—west england. by contrast, for many southern and eastern parts, it has been twice with the best of the sunshine. are still some rain clearing this evening and overnight put it this is what has happened in the last few hours but this will trundle eastwards in the next few hours and through the night, things will become drier. we will be left with quite a bit of cloud and that could give some patchy drizzle and mist and fog point it will be quite a humid night across england and wales with temperatures not much lower than 1a or 15 degrees, fresher than last night in scotland. looking at the bigger picture tomorrow, still this frontal system hanging around but it runs into high pressure and as it