To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE


SHARE THIS ARTICLE Printer friendly version of this page

'A Disaster in Every Sense of the Word': Shell Shocked Beirut Wakes Up to 100+ Dead, Thousands Injured after Massive Explosion

Emily Jones : Aug 5, 2020  CBN News

"This is a disaster for Lebanon. We don't know how we are going to get out of it. We don't know. We could barely survive (before the explosion) and now we have this disaster. We have to stay strong. We have to hold ourselves together. We have to be brave. This happened to a people." -Governor Marwan Abboud.

(Jerusalem, Israel) — [CBN News] A shocked and dazed Lebanon awoke Wednesday morning to shattered buildings, streets littered with piles of rubble, neighborhoods leveled to the ground, and officials still counting the injured and dead. (Screengrab image)

The Beirut port is still smoking after a massive explosion sent shock waves as far as Cyprus Tuesday evening.

"It's a catastrophe inside. There are corpses on the ground. Ambulances are still lifting the dead," a soldier at the port told AFP.

The blast killed at least 100 people and wounded more than 4,000.

"It felt like an earthquake," one Beruit resident told CBN News.

Click here to watch videos of the explosion

Scores of people are still missing, believed to be trapped under mountains of debris. Their loved ones are scrambling, turning to social media pages like Instagram's "Locate Victims Beirut," to search for missing family members.

The cause of the catastrophic blast is still under investigation. Interior Minister Mohammed Fahmi told a local television station that it appeared the explosion was caused by the detonation of more than 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate that was being stored in a warehouse at the port after it was confiscated from a cargo ship in 2014.

Prime Minister Hassan Diab said the explosion is "a disaster in every sense of the word."

"What happened today will not pass without accountability," said Diab. "Those responsible for this catastrophe will pay the price."

The explosion could not have come at a worse time. A devastating economic crisis brought on by years of mismanagement and corruption had already brought Lebanon to its knees. The country is on the verge of collapse under the weight of one of the worst debt ratios in the world.

Before COVID-19 hit, tens of thousands of Lebanese took to the streets to demand a new government. Many have already fled the country.

The port where the explosion happened is where Lebanon imports nearly all of its vital goods. There are concerns that food shortages will be exacerbated. Silos holding an estimated 85% of the country's grain stand hollowed out after the explosion.

Jonathan Schanzer, Senior Vice President for Research at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies told CBN News before this explosion, "The Lebanese government is barely existing and things are going from bad to worse. This bailout that is likely needed for Lebanon could exceed the largest bailout that we've seen to date, which is Argentina."

Beirut's governor broke down into tears Wednesday morning when describing the state of his nation.

"This is a disaster for Lebanon. We don't know how we are going to get out of it. We don't know. We could barely survive (before the explosion) and now we have this disaster. We have to stay strong. We have to hold ourselves together. We have to be brave. This happened to a people," said Governor Marwan Abboud.

It is unclear how the blast will affect the wider Middle East as Lebanon is forced to confront the toughest time in its history. Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here







SHARE THIS ARTICLE Printer friendly version of this page

To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE

Other Recent Articles from Breaking Christian News

Pro-Life Advocates to Hold Prayer and Worship Service at the United States Supreme Court on the Eve of 'Idaho v. United States' Abortion Case

'Just a Disaster': Biden's Title IX Rule Empowers LGBTQ Movement, Erases Women and Justice

WATCH: Brave School Girl Reveals in Graphic Detail How TRANS Student Savagely Assaulted Her Friend While Blasting Woke School Officials for Letting it Happen

United For Israel March Happening on the Columbia University Campus, April 25th

As Anti-Israel Activists Vandalize Texas Congressman's Office, He 'Stands With Israel'

Did Letitia James Accidentally Reveal the Real Reason for Her Trump Witch Hunt?

Unredacted Motion Reveals Collaboration between Biden White House and NARA to Concoct Classified Docs Case against Trump

Report: the WHO Makes Major Changes to the Pandemic Treaty, and They're Good Ones; But Will It Last?

Israelis Remember Hostages, Fallen Soldiers, Terror Victims as Passover Begins

She Survived a Death Camp. Facing Biden DOJ Charges, She Is Prepared to Die in Prison

Planned Parenthood Committed 392,712 Abortions, Received $699.3 Million in Taxpayer Funding in 2023

Student Loan Forgiveness: Morally Reprehensible and Legally Invalid

Columbia Classes Go Virtual Before Passover Amid Protests

Hundreds Accept Jesus Christ in Poland at Franklin Graham Rally

Grammy-Winning Christian Artist Mandisa Has Died: Report

How You Can Send Letters of Encouragement to Jailed Pro-Life Heroes

'Americans Cannot Allow the Biden Administration to Sign Away Their Birthright': Congressmen Warn of WHO Pandemic Agreement

Illegal Immigrants Being Moved into Soldiers' Home Where Veterans Must Pay to Stay

House Democrats Vow to Codify 'Rights' to Trans Surgeries, Hormones, Puberty Blockers

18-Year-Old Female Trans Student Charged for Planning Two Maryland School Shootings, Manifesto Said She Wanted to Be 'Famous'



Search the Articles Archives

Keyword:  
Author:  
Words Posted On:  
Day Month Year



BCN Plus

Follow BCN on Twitter
Are You Praying for Our Government Leaders?
BCN Staff

Steve Shultz
Steve Shultz, Managing Editor
Founder and Owner


Aimee Herd
Aimee Herd, Editor


BCN Plus
Are You Praying for President Trump?
 
 

All articles on this site and emails from BCN are copyrighted property of Breaking Christian News. Permission is given to link to, or share a BCN story if proper attribution is given to both the original writer and summarizer of the story. Breaking Christian News 2005-2019. All Rights Reserved.


Breaking Christian News is a division of Elijah List Publications, Inc. All Rights Reserved


Disclaimer: Articles and links, as well as the source articles linked to; do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Breaking Christian News.

editor@breakingchristiannews.com