Electricity was also in Fatima Al Mahmoud Beirut at home before a massive explosion ripped through the Lebanese capital late Tuesday afternoon, at least 135 people were killed, and injured another 5,000. A senior editor of on-line guide Beirut.com city, the 22 year old was working remotely lockdowns COVID when an explosion caused initially mistook for an earthquake shook apartment of his family. Moments later, the explosion of a much larger great distance was 150 miles in Cyprus felt shattered his bedroom window. Mahmoud pulled her 12-year-old brother in the relative safety of their hallway and in the 25 minutes before the new and the Internet connection is restored kicks generators, tormented about the safety of her other teenage brother. The panic and insecurity have led the summer of 2006, meaning that the war broke out between Lebanon and Israel. But the horrors that lived at that time, Mahmoud said, “it was nothing compared to what I heard yesterday.” Mahmoud, who managed his brother and their apartment to find suffered only minor damage, is among residents of happy Beirut. say found the explosion, the authorities in a warehouse contains large quantities of explosives in the port of the capital, with rubble and twisted rebar reinforced concrete sprinkled with deserted Beirut. It ‘blew the window in Beirut airport more homeless than five miles from the blast site and 200,000 people in Beirut Governor Marwan Abboud, the cost of the damage, estimated at up to $5 billion. After a night in which to read radio hosts, the names of the missing and injured relatives to find love scrambled eggs, rescue teams were on Wednesday still pull the debris in front of the injured survivors, and purchase bodies from the water. The death toll could rise even further, with many still missing after the Lebanese Ministry of Health. The tragic consequences Tuesday explosion is amplified by the already exerted pressure on Lebanon destroyed economy. Under the control of the offense for the Government of Lebanon continues to be expected already unstable political atmosphere of warmth. Beirut port, the only grain silos housed the country and receives 80% of its imports was “still hold the only thing that still basically we go,” said Mahmoud. “E ‘, where the grain is stored, the drug is stored, the fuel is stored. Now everything is gone.” Lebanon economy was on the verge of collapse. is beginning went in October of last year more than a million protesters in a country of about 6 million people in the streets to inefficient government services, corruption diverts anger in Lebanon based political patronage system, interference from foreign countries such as Iran and the worst economic crisis in Lebanon since its war of 15 years in 1990. government arrests came in response to the global pandemic stopped the protest movement in Lebanon, but also added to their economic desperation. One in three is unemployed Lebanese, the currency has lost 80% of its value against the dollar since the autumn of last year and the network for a couple of hours a day. In a statement accompanying a report by July 28, which showed that almost a million people in over Beirut have no money for sufficient food, the country Save Children interim Director Jad Sakr said: “We start starving children to see later this year. “explosion Tuesday will accumulate even fought more pressure on the Lebanese government. Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab said in a statement that 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate, which is usually used as an agricultural fertilizer were stored in a port warehouse for six years has been, “endangering the security of citizens.” regarding why it was there, “you have to ask habits” Lebanese Interior Minister Mohammed Fehmi told local reporters in Arabic on Tuesday. Asked why the fireworks were stored near the ammonium nitrate reason why the local media provided as explosives detonated General of the Lebanese customs Badri then moved guilt In port authorities furrows. Reports have ammonium nitrate to a Moldova-tag cargo ship called Rhosus connected to the same amount of explosive material contributed to Diab on the declaration provided before the Lebanese authorities that 2,014 crossed in a letter to Russian journalists posted in 2014, the Russian captain said that the chemicals onboard effectively a fact of the ship “floating bomb.” How and why have remained in port for six years, it is not yet clear, but Reuters reported that the Lebanese government to place all port officials in Beirut have agreed, since he oversaw in 2014 under the storage and security house arrest. Download barrel has long been an aspect of the political system Lebanese dysfunctional, but also highlights the fact of the Lebanese state does not have full control of the port, said Lina Khatib, who heads the Middle East and North Africa Program at think tank London-based Chatham House. Hezbollah, a political militant group closely to Iranian-backed Lebanese President Michel Aoun is known to have a hand in the path of the port of Beirut. In addition to the Lebanese economy is crucial, the door has long been a line in the country for different fractions of smuggling. Hezbollah, which the United States and some European countries has designated a terrorist organization “has in the past the port of explosive material smuggle Lebanon, for the manufacture of munitions used,” says Khatib. There is no evidence that the intended purpose of the ammonium nitrate was said caused the explosion on Tuesday, and a preliminary investigation has reportedly found years of inaction and negligence of its storage. Hezbollah important political role in Lebanon is a factor of economic crisis, which was aggravated by the House of maximum pressure campaign Bianca. That was European supporters of Lebanon, like France, the prudent financial support in the recent past. On the heels of the explosion, offers of help have come from countries including Qatar, France, Russia, Iran, Russia and even Israel, as it is at war with Lebanon after the first technical. French President Emmanuel Macron Aoun set to meet on Thursday. But longer term, Khatib said, “the only way forward is to support the [International Monetary Fund] Lebanon.” The talks on a bailout plan stalled last month and IMF support for Lebanon has caused a series of measures to increase transparency and financial responsibility for implementation. Perform without urgent reforms now says Khatib, he will push Lebanon into a “failed state.” For now, the civil society groups strengthened the gaps by the government to fill. Mahmoud says Beirut.com editor that she and her friends set up an online group of volunteers who fight the funds raised to help people buy food and other basic necessities after the explosion. Instagram page @open_houses_lebanon offers accommodation for displaced people in more than 150 locations throughout Lebanon called. On Twitter, others #ourhomesareopen offered free room under the hashtag. But the immediate focus is to help the most urgent need not to play down public anger over the government says Mahmoud. “People are hopeful that today we mourn our martyrs and tomorrow take to the streets”, says TIME. “I hope it’s true.”
Beirut was already suffering. Then came the deadly explosion
