The Real Housewives of Sydney star, who is of Lebanese heritage, posted photographs of homes belonging to her family and friends, which were left completely destroyed by the explosion.
She also revealed that her uncle, 72, was injured after being "blown six meters into the air" and left 'covered in glass."
"These are photos sent by family and friends in Beirut today," Nicole captioned her post. "The devastation is heartbreaking."
She also shared a video of the blast site, saying that her "thoughts and prayers are with the people of Lebanon."
"My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Lebanon. My heart breaks for my homeland. My poor 72 year old uncle was blown 6 meters in the air and covered in glass. He is okay but the hospitals are overflowing with casualties and the situation is devastating," she wrote.
She added, "There are bodies scattered all over the city and they are helpless. One explosion did more destruction in the country than 30 years of civil war. #prayforlebanon 🇱🇧 🇱🇧 🇱🇧"
At least 135 people have now been confirmed to have died in the blast, with more than 5,000 others injured, according to a report by The Daily Mail. The explosion was triggered when a warehouse filled with dangerous chemicals caught fire in the city's port area and erupted with the force of a small nuclear bomb.
Lebanon Health Minister Hamad Hassan says he expects the number of fatalities to continue to rise, with many still missing as emergency services continue to pull bodies out from beneath the rubble.
The enormous explosion, which leveled a large portion of the city, has also left up to 300,000 people homeless, local officials said, according to the publication. Lebanon was already grappling with a severe coronavirus outbreak, poor governance and an economic crisis before the devastating blast rang out.
Beirut's hospitals reached capacity a short time after the explosion, forcing hundreds of the wounded to travel as far at 50 miles north, to Tripoli, to receive treatment. At least three hospitals were damaged in the blast.
The exact cause of the explosion is still under investigation, however, it’s thought to have been triggered after a welder caused a fire that spread to an adjacent warehouse where 2,750 tons of highly explosive ammonium nitrate was being stored without adequate safety precautions, reports The Daily Mail.
Photo Credit: Foxtel; Courtesy via Nicole O'Neil/Instagram
At least 135 people have now been confirmed to have died in the blast, with more than 5,000 others injured, according to a report by The Daily Mail. The explosion was triggered when a warehouse filled with dangerous chemicals caught fire in the city's port area and erupted with the force of a small nuclear bomb.
Lebanon Health Minister Hamad Hassan says he expects the number of fatalities to continue to rise, with many still missing as emergency services continue to pull bodies out from beneath the rubble.
The enormous explosion, which leveled a large portion of the city, has also left up to 300,000 people homeless, local officials said, according to the publication. Lebanon was already grappling with a severe coronavirus outbreak, poor governance and an economic crisis before the devastating blast rang out.
Beirut's hospitals reached capacity a short time after the explosion, forcing hundreds of the wounded to travel as far at 50 miles north, to Tripoli, to receive treatment. At least three hospitals were damaged in the blast.
The exact cause of the explosion is still under investigation, however, it’s thought to have been triggered after a welder caused a fire that spread to an adjacent warehouse where 2,750 tons of highly explosive ammonium nitrate was being stored without adequate safety precautions, reports The Daily Mail.
Photo Credit: Foxtel; Courtesy via Nicole O'Neil/Instagram