Beirut rallies to clear wreckage in wake of blast
Citizens assess the damage, pick up the pieces and express anger at politicians whom they blame for the crisis.
The destruction in Beirut is nerve-wracking. Streets and sidewalks are piled with debris and shattered glass that have fallen from damaged buildings — many beyond repair. The Aug. 4 disaster has left at least 149 dead and 5,000 wounded, with others still missing and some 300,000 people displaced from their homes.
Beirut governor Marwan Abboud said damages from the explosion, linked to some 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored at the port, could reach $15 billion.
Throughout Aug. 6, a stream of cars continued to flow to the capital’s worst-hit areas, packed with aid workers and civil society activists scrambling to provide people with food and shelter.
For those on Beirut’s Hamra street, some 4 kilometers (2½ miles) from the port, the explosion first felt like an earthquake followed by a loud boom. The once-lively street was covered in glass and became nearly empty after experts warned people to stay home, seal their windows and wear masks when outside due to toxic gases released from the blast.
