Beirut’s Bloody Explosion
treated in the hospital near the port were evacuated to other medical facilities. Sadly, many coronavirus patients died due to the power outage caused by the blast. Apart from the team on the scene, we had to widen the scope of coverage. We were all racing against the clock. As night fell, we continued our uninterrupted live coverage of the story. At first light, we redeployed after a short break. We walked around the city - which looked like a war- stricken area - giving accounts of the aftermath. More than 200 had been killed; thousands were injured. Residents of the stricken capital refused to give up. Before the authorities arrived, volunteers had already flocked to remove the debris, to re-open closed roads, and to lend a helping hand to those affected. Al Jazeera has covered many crucial events in Lebanon, from wars to assassinations. Our teams were accustomed to working in these harsh circumstances; however, we were faced with many personal and technical challenges. The public blamed Beirut’s bloody explosion on negligence and corruption among the ruling elite. It is a catastrophe that has left inedible scars on all Lebanese.
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