Lebanon

Fire Breaks Out in Beirut Port, 1 month after Massive Explosion

fire in beirut port lebanon

A huge fire broke out at the port area in Beirut on Thursday – 10th September 2020. This incident sent billows of black smoke into the sky at the Lebanese capital and had authorities rush to the scene to control it. 1

It’s only a little more than a month since a devastating blast wreaked havoc to the residents surrounding the port area. So this massive fire is another tragic event especially people are still recovering.

Also Read: Pray for Lebanon, Countries Light Up Lebanese Flag in Solidarity after Beirut Explosion

Initial reports mention that the fire was caused by maintenance works at the facility. Authorities are investigating the cause of the blaze and according to reports, Lebanon President Michel Aoun said that the Beirut fire could either be a deliberate act of vandalism or a result of negligence or ignorance. Aoun also stressed the importance punishment for those who had caused the blaze.

fire in beirut port
Fire in Beirut port, a month after the shocking explosion. Image: video screenshot shared on social media

Beirut Port Fire after 1 Month of Deadly Blast

“Any mistake of any kind that leads to such a fire is no longer acceptable, especially after the disaster caused by the first blaze,” said President Michel Aoun.

Michel Najjar, Caretaker Minister of Public Works and Transportation announced that the fire that broke out was under control. They are conducting further investigations and will wait for a reports on the cause of the fire.

“The fire broke out in a warehouse away from hangar 12, and we must wait for a comprehensive study of what happened,” he added.

In a tweet shared on Thursday, the Lebanese Army announced that the authorities have started investigation into the Beirut port fire.

Below are posts shared on social media about the blast.

Pray for Lebanon, Countries Light Up Lebanese Flag in Solidarity after Beirut Explosion

Pray for Lebanon, Countries Light Up Lebanese Flag in Solidarity after Beirut Explosion

Few hours after the massive blast at the port area of the Lebanese capital, the hashtags #PrayforLebanon and #PrayforBeirut trended on social media. 

And as people began to join forces together to voice out their support for the victims, and residents of Beirut and Lebanon, famous landmarks around the globe lit up with the flag of Lebanon in solidarity with the victims of the explosion.

Pray for Lebanon, Countries Light Up Lebanese Flag in Solidarity after Beirut Explosion
Credits: Twitter

Look: Famous Landmarks Light Up with Lebanese Flag in Solidarity after Beirut Blast

The blast, which obliterated almost the entire city’s port, is suspected to have been caused by seized explosives that were stored in a warehouse at the port.

The number of reported fatalities was close to 100, while around 4,000 people have been injured from the incident. And with hundreds more still missing, authorities expect that the number of fatalities and casualties will continue to rise in the following hours.

In lie with this, Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab declared a national day of mourning and promised that those responsible for the “catastrophe” would be held accountable.

Iconic Monuments Light Up in Solidarity with the Victims of the Beirut Blast

Meanwhile, in Brazil, the iconic statue of Christ the Redeemer was projected with the Lebanese flag in memory of those who lost their lives in the blast and show solidarity to the people in Beirut who are still suffering from its aftermath.

Few hours after the catastrophic event that hit Lebanon, the official Twitter account of Dubai’s iconic landmark, the Burj Khalifa, posted a photo as it was lit up with the colors of the Lebanese flag, captioned: “In solidarity with our brothers and sisters in #Lebanon”.

https://twitter.com/BurjKhalifa/status/1290739073359982594?s=20

On Tuesday night, the iconic pyramids of Giza in Egypt also shone bright with the colors of the Lebanon flag in solidarity with the victims of the tragic event. 

In Canada, the CN Tower displayed the colors red, white, and green, in remembrance of the victims in Beirut.

Meanwhile, the Tel Aviv municipality building also joined the light-up in solidarity with the people of Lebanon.

In Iran, Tehran’s Azadi Tower projected the Lebanese flag on its facade.

Neighboring Gulf state, Kuwait Towers in the Ras Agouza area, also lit up with the colors of the Lebanese flag.

 

And as the other iconic landmarks across the world lit up in support of the people of Lebanon, France’s Eiffel Tower went dark to join Lebanon in mourning.

The hashtags #Lebanon and #Beirut trended all over social media with many saying the explosion appeared “apocalyptic”. People also shared images from before and after the explosion to show the massive scale of devastation.

https://twitter.com/Iiferelatable/status/1290863920639430658?s=20

https://twitter.com/hansoldvernon/status/1290814296641830913?s=20

https://twitter.com/JediQureshi/status/1290880973593358337?s=20

The catastrophe comes at a time as Lebanon’s economy struggles with a financial crisis as it attempts to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

The nation has also witnessed increasing tensions between Israel and the militant Hezbollah group along Lebanon’s southern border.

ALSO READ: Bride’s Wedding Photoshoot in Beirut Captures Horrific Explosion

Bride’s Wedding Photoshoot in Beirut Captures Horrific Explosion

It was supposedly the happiest day of her life – until her entire world shook, literally. 

A happy couple in Beirut was spending a blissful moment recording their prenuptial photoshoot when all of a sudden a massive explosion, which now has reportedly claimed the lives of at least 130 people and left 5,000 injured with hundreds still missing, took place in a port at the Lebanon capital. 

Here is the video captured and posted by Mahmoud Nakib via his YouTube Channel:

[Watch] Bridal Photoshoot Interrupted by Horrific Beirut Blast

Dr. Israa Seblani and Ahmad Sbeih were on the streets of Beirut on Tuesday, with Seblani posing for the camera in a dramatic, white wedding gown. It was a day like any other in the city’s Saifi Village, the doctor recounts, with people out and about shopping and dining in restaurants. 

Then all of a sudden, a loud noise was heard from a distance, followed by a deafening blast that was captured on video by the couple’s wedding photographer, Mahmoud Nakib.

In an interview with CNN, Nakib said: “We were filming an outdoor photo session for the (Seblani and Sbeih) wedding, then we heard an explosion.” 

“That was the first explosion, we thought that it was far away, so we continued filming normally,” he added.

However, a few seconds after that, as we can see in the video, the entire situation changed.

Nakib shared, “In just one second, the sky turned black and we heard the second explosion.”

When the explosion went off, an intense gust of wind created by the explosion’s shockwave roared through the square, as seen in the video.

Seblani shared, “The area I was in — within a matter of seconds — it went from this beautiful place to a ghost town filled with dust, shattered glass and people yelling [and] bleeding. It was like a nightmare scene.”

Meanwhile, Nakib recounted that he was shaken by the shockwave, pushing him down the street nearly knocking him over. But his camera kept rolling, shakily documenting the chaotic scene for a few seconds longer.  

As this happened, Seblani, Nakib, and the rest of the wedding party headed inside as the blast echoed through the streets of Beirut. Fortunately, no one was hurt during the incident. 

Nakib shared that as he was running, he first thought about his wife and daughter back home. “I called her to let her know that I’m fine and do not go out. And I went live at Facebook to let people know what happened.“

The explosion at the Lebanese capital wiped out entire city streets, leaving hundreds of thousands of the city’s residents homeless and damaging structures as far as six miles away.

The blast was suspected to have come from a warehouse storing thousands of tons of an unsecured and volatile chemical compound, although investigations as to the cause of the incident are still ongoing as of this writing.

ALSO READ: WATCH: Hero Housemaid Saves Little Girl During Beirut Explosion

WATCH: Hero Housemaid Saves Little Girl During Beirut Explosion

migrant worker saves toddler from beirut blast

An unnamed female migrant worker has been labelled a hero online after her noble act of saving her ward during the massive explosion in Beirut, Lebanon.

Also Read: Before and After Photos of Beirut Port from UAE Khalifa Satellite

As shown in a home camera footage, the housemaid instantly jumped into action and grabbed a child when the blast took place. The housemaid did not event hesitate and instantly grabbed the child to safety.

migrant worker saves toddler from beirut blast
Video screenshot: @evisionmn

VIDEO: Beirut Housemaid Swiftly Saves Toddler During Massive Blast

In the video which has now gone viral, the nanny could be seen cleaning the floor with a vacuum cleaner while the child was standing in the room. While continuing her work, she noticed the vibration and immediately grabbed the toddler and saved her from the shattered glass and windows.

Check out the video below:

The heroic act is very inspiring and showed the nanny’s instincts. Many netizens across various social media platforms have praised the nanny’s swift action. This truly shows the importance of migrant workers to families and it shows that we need to value these migrant workers and treat them better.

The explosion occurred at the port of port area of Lebanon’s capital city where tonnes of ammonium nitrate were reportedly stored.

According the World Health Organization, more than 5000 people were injured, over 130 admitted to intensive care units, and up to 300,000 people have been displaced from their homes and need urgent support for shelter and food assistance.

Hospitals are overwhelmed with the number of injured people and many buildings are destroyed. Search and rescue operations are still ongoing.

Below are some moving images after the blast as shared by netizens:

Before and After Photos of Beirut Port from UAE Khalifa Satellite

beirut before and after photo map

Last August 4, Beirut, Lebanon suffered a massive explosion in the capital’s port area which left dozens dead and thousands injured. The said cause of the blast was due to ammonium nitrate found in the port area.

While investigations are ongoing below are some photos taken from the United Arab Emirate’s Khalifa satellite as shared by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre’s Twitter page.

The photos show a Before and After shot of Beirut’s port area.

Beirut before blast
Beirut’s port area before the blast. Image: Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre
Beirut's port area after the blast
Beirut’s port area after the blast. Image: Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre

Below is a close-up and chilling video of the blast that left thousands injured and dozens killed.

BREAKING: Massive and Shocking Blast in Beirut, Lebanon Leaves City in Chaos

deadly explosion beirut lebanon

Lebanon’s capital city, Beirut, has been hit by a massive explosion that left the city in panic and chaos. According to reports, the explosion was equivalent to a 3.3 magnitude earthquake.

The explosion occurred at the city’s port area and according to latest updates, about 78 people have been killed and over 4000 people are wounded. Many people are missing and

Reports also mention that Ammonium nitrate was stored in the port which had caused the explosion. However, investigations are ongoing. As this is a breaking story, more updates are to follow.

Our hearts and prayers go out to the people of Lebanon.

Below are some videos posted online regarding this shocking blast:

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Lebanon.