Lebanon: Bride, whose wedding video captured Beirut's explosion, recalls horror
What's the story
On Tuesday, when Lebanon's capital Beirut was jolted by a catastrophic explosion, US-based doctor, Israa Seblani, was getting herself filmed in her white dress. Her wedding video captured parts of the blast, that overturned cars and shook buildings miles away from the seaside city. Seblani, who survived the destruction, said she could never describe what she felt. She is just grateful to be alive.
Details
Bride flew down to Lebanon especially to get married
29-year-old Seblani chose Beirut's Saifi Square for her wedding to businessman Ahmad Subeih. The couple's photographer, Mahmoud Nakib, was shooting Seblani when they were shaken by the powerful explosion. Bits of the destruction were captured on camera. Speaking on the unprecedented incident, Subeih told Reuters, "We are still in shock...I have never heard anything similar to the sound of this explosion."
Twitter Post
The spine-chilling video can be viewed here
A wedding photo shoot of a bride was taking place in Lebanon at the time of the blast#بيروت#لبنان#Beirut pic.twitter.com/8FmdBlqANy
— Oye Mani (@ManiOye) August 4, 2020
Quote
On camera, wedding photographer attempted to describe the explosion
In one clip that went viral, Nakib purportedly said, "Look at me, I'm shaking. There was a really, really big explosion. All the storefronts have been smashed. Some people have been injured, but thank God we are fine. Everything is broken."
Aftermath
What happened can't be explained: Seblani
Talking to Reuters, Seblani revealed she had been planning her wedding for two weeks and was naturally excited. But her celebratory mood was cut short by the explosion. "What happened during the explosion here - there is no word to explain...I was shocked, I was wondering what happened, am I going to die? How am I going to die?" she told.
Celebrations
Despite the explosion, Seblani continued with the celebrations
Seblani said her husband suggested against losing calm and asked her to continue with the celebrations. "I was like okay, why not, we continue. I was not living the moment actually, I was like walking, my lips were smiling, that's it, not more," she revealed. Seblani said she loved Lebanon but "can't live there anymore." Reportedly, her husband is waiting for a US visa.
Explosion
Meanwhile, Beirut struggling to pick up pieces after deafening explosion
To recall, an enormous blast tore through Beirut this week, killing 135 and injuring close to 5,000 people. Government officials blamed 2,750 metric tons of explosive ammonium nitrate stored at a local warehouse for the incident. The explosion triggered a mild earthquake as well. The country's prime minister had called the carelessness absolutely unacceptable and promised to take action against those responsible.