World Press Photo contest: 'Port Explosion in Beirut' among winners

Spot News category award winner pictures desolate man in blast's apocalyptic aftermath

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The World Press Photo Contest on Thursday announced the awards winners and runners up, and a haunting picture taken in the aftermath of the Beirut blast has finished top in the Spot News category.

The annual competition rewards the best visual journalism of the past year in eight categories: Contemporary Issues, Environment, General News, Long-Term Projects, Nature, Portraits, Sports and Spot News.

In total, 45 photographers from 28 countries won in 2021.

Scroll through the gallery above to see Italian Lorenzo Tugnoli's winning efforts in the Spot News category.

bio on the World Press Photo site describes Mr Tugnoli is a "self-taught" photographer based in Lebanon covering the Middle East and Central Asia for The Washington Post.

Beirut isn't the only place in the Middle East to be recognised in the contest.

The gallery below contains a selection of category winners and runners up in the contest whose photos have a Middle East theme.

More on the Beirut blast

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