Residents recount tragedy after Beirut explosion: "It was like an atomic bomb. Everything went flying through the air."

Laure Stéphan and Paul Khalifeh, RFI - Panic followed by devastation. Beirut woke up this Wednesday (5) in shock and immense destruction after two explosions at the port of the Lebanese capital the day before. Residents spoke to RFI and recounted how they experienced the tragedy that left at least 100 dead, 4 injured and 300 homeless.

"I was with my son on the balcony of our apartment when we heard the first explosion. Our first reflex was to take shelter. I'm a 'child of war,' so I have strong reflexes. I hid my son under the stairs, and soon after we heard another huge explosion. It was like an atomic bomb. Everything went flying: glass, trees... it was dramatic. In the 16 years I witnessed the war, I never saw an explosion like that," Beirut resident Maliha Raydan told [the publication]. RFI.

Maliha also says she hasn't had the courage to go down to the street to see the extent of the tragedy because her son is very scared and doesn't want her to leave his side. "But from the balcony I saw many injured people because I live next to a hospital. Ambulances kept passing by all night. We know there will be many more victims that they will pull from the rubble in the coming days," she laments.

In fact, Lebanese authorities say that the priority at the moment is the search for survivors. The government has also announced a vast investigation operation to find those responsible for the tragedy, which is believed to have occurred accidentally in a warehouse containing 2.750 tons of ammonium nitrate, a product used as fertilizer but highly flammable.

Franco-Lebanese journalist Marie-Jo Sader helped transport the injured to hospitals. "I started putting people in my car. I transported injured girls who were screaming with completely open wounds. We were stuck in traffic jams for a long time because, after the explosions, people tried to flee, ambulances were everywhere, my car's tires were punctured because the roads were full of debris. Hospital emergency rooms were overflowing, nurses told us to try other hospitals outside Beirut... it was total chaos," she recalls.

Entire neighborhoods were devastated within a kilometer radius of the port. Buildings collapsed and damage was reported up to ten kilometers away from the capital. The impact of the explosion was even felt in Cyprus, more than 200 kilometers from Beirut. 

This morning, Lena, a resident of the capital, told... RFI who, along with her neighbors, was trying to salvage what was left of her building. "The streets of Beirut today reflect the catastrophe. We are starting to clean our apartment, to collect the shattered glass, and, really, there isn't much left. My feeling is one of shock and sadness. My children are terrified. This brings back very bad memories. In a few seconds, we were taken back 30 years, as if we were at war again," she says. 

Hospitals are overwhelmed.

At the entrance to Beirut's public hospital, young Brahim waits with his shirt stained with blood. He hopes for news of his girlfriend, who works in downtown Beirut and suffered head and eye injuries. 

"I went straight to the souks in Beirut looking for my girlfriend. All the shop windows in the shopping center where she works exploded. She was injured, I carried her to the first hospital, but it was already full and she couldn't be treated. So we came to the public hospital, which is bigger," he explains.

Dr. Robert Sacy works at St. George's Hospital, which was severely damaged by the explosions. In an interview with... RFIHe recounted that he was forced to evacuate the place as debris collapsed on the patients. "Part of the ceiling fell, electrical wires were exposed, doors flew off, many patients were trapped, we had to break into some rooms to rescue them."

Visibly emotional, the doctor recounts that the wounded arrived en masse, but could not be treated due to the state of the hospital's infrastructure. "They were asking us for help, all injured, but our emergency room was unable to function. Many had already gone to other hospitals, but those were also full. For hours, there were people on the floor of the emergency room waiting to be seen. In five minutes, I saw things worse than in all the years of war," he states. 

National mourning

The tragedy on Tuesday adds to Lebanon's already difficult situation, which is going through its worst economic crisis in decades, marked by unprecedented currency depreciation, hyperinflation, and mass layoffs that have fueled social unrest for several months. Prime Minister Hassan Diab has declared a national day of mourning for Wednesday.

To date, the damage is estimated at over US$3 billion and affects nearly half of the city of Beirut. According to the government, between 250 and 300 people are homeless. 

Three field hospitals are being hastily erected to receive patients from overcrowded emergency rooms. Meanwhile, rescue services are racing against the clock to try and find dozens of people reported missing.