Large fire erupts in Beirut port area (Videos)

A store of oil and tires at Beirut port caught fire on Thursday, a military source said.

The fire erupted in the duty free zone of the port, sending a huge column of smoke above the city.

The military source said the cause of the blaze was not immediately clear.

Firefighters are trying to douse the blaze at the port.

The head of Lebanon's Red Cross, George Kettaneh, said there was no fear of another explosion as a result of the flames and said there were no injuries, although he said there were some people suffering from shortness of breath as a result.