The massive blast that sent shock waves throughout Beirut, Lebanon, captured by residents of the capital and seen from different perspectives.
A Huge Catastrophe To Lebanese Life
As we pray for Lebanon, there's nothing remotely pleasing about writing content based on disastrous events that impact human lives. The "massive" blast, that shook the capital city of Lebanon, Beirut, reminded us of a mini Hiroshima with it's intimidating mushroom clouds.
The Lebanese explosion, which has yet to be determined, was supposedly caused by 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate. With incompetence, the material which is often used as a source of nitrogen for fertiliser, was left unchecked without safety checks for 6 years.
The explosion not only ruined the lives of many, it also brought back past memories of bombings, including the assassination of Rafic Baha El Deen Al Hariri, a Lebanese business tycoon and ex Prime Minister of Lebanon.
The explosion occurred approximately after 18:00 (15:00 GMT) on the 4th August 2020, and was felt 240km (150 miles) away on the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus. For something so widespread, it's impact, we had no doubt that social media platforms would entail clips not seen on mainstream media. And so they did.
Our social feeds were littered with images, for which the majority were taken by civilians. Without making the disaster seem worthy in anyway shape or form, the images intrigued and captivated us - we were shocked. Instinctively, the idea of "fireworks" being the cause of the blast was ridiculous to us, as what we witnessed gave us the impression of an "attack". These impressions, or ideas were dismissed by officials.
Shortly after, the "it wasn't us" groups surfaced to remind us of what type of world we live in.
Entities such as Israel and Hezbollah both denied any involvement, by quickly distancing themselves from the explosion. Theories began to circulate online relating to Israel, after the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged a tough response to Israeli threats, over the occupied Golan Heights, on Tuesday.
The explosion came at the worst possible time for Lebanon, as the burden of COVID-19 existed, with infections unfortunately on the rise. With hospitals already struggling to cope, and the thought of thousands of injured victims, Red Cross support was God send.
Although an official reason for the explosion hasn't been established, some people have blamed the authorities for their corruption. Lebanese influences of power have failed to reform and solve the country's detriment, instead line their pockets. For a country that requires healthy drinking water, reforms are desperately needed.
Due to the destruction caused by the blast, and considering that Lebanon imports most of it's food, the fears of food insecurity are unsurprisingly widespread. The situation in the middle-eastern region has been deemed long-lasting, and President Aoun's announcement of 100 billion lira, equivalent to £50.5m of emergency funding, is a start to recovery.
As tomorrow is never guaranteed, always remember to give thanks for what you have in life - #PrayForLebanon.
Multiple Angles of The Beirut Explosion
We took the liberty of compiling several recordings of the Beirut port explosion from different angles, and it wasn't pleasurable. Our decision to refrain from including images of the dead and severely wounded was immediate, however the video's contents can still be deemed distressing. One's discretion is strongly advised.
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