Survivor search gripping Lebanon
BEIRUT — People throughout this country observed a moment of silence Friday to mark one month since the devastating explosion here, while rescuers dug through the rubble of a building destroyed in the blast, hoping to find a survivor.
The split-screen images reflected the pain and anguish that persists one month after the Aug. 4 blast that killed 191 people, injured 6,000 others and traumatized Lebanon, which already was suffering under a severe economic crisis and financial collapse.
The search operation in the historic Mar Mikhail district — on a street once filled with crowded bars and restaurants — was gripping the nation.
The possibility, however unlikely, that a survivor could be found after one month gave hope to people who followed the live images on television, wishing for a miracle.
The operation began Thursday after a dog used by the Chilean search-and-rescue team TOPOS detected something and rushed toward the rubble.
Rescue workers used cranes, shovels and their bare hands in a meticulous search after a pulsing signal was detected.
Images of the black-and-white 5-year-old dog named Flash, wearing red shoes to protect its paws, circulated on social media. People thanked the dog and said it cared more about the Lebanese people than their own government.
Near the wreckage of Beirut’s port, a commemoration was held for the victims of the blast. Soldiers fired a salute, then laid a white rose for each of the 191 victims at a memorial.
The crowd fell silent at 6:08 p.m., the moment of the most destructive explosion in Lebanon’s violent history.
Church bells tolled, mosques made a call for prayers and ambulances blared their sirens. Some people wept silently. Others held ropes tied as nooses — a sign of the grief and raw anger toward officials that persists in the country.
The blast was caused by nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate improperly stored at the port. In addition to the dead and injured, thousands of homes were damaged by the blast, which smashed windows and doors for miles.
It still isn’t clear what caused the fire that ignited the ammonium nitrate. The public blames the corruption and negligence of Lebanon’s politicians, security and judicial officials, many of whom knew about the storage of the chemicals for six years and did nothing.
“We will hold you accountable,” one banner read.
The state still has failed to provide any answers, and no senior official has been detained.
“I know rationally it’s been one month, but at a very visceral level it all just feels like one long bad day, that moment stretches out for what feels like forever,” posted Carmen Geha, an activist and university professor. “I cannot rest, we cannot rest with bodies still under rubble. We need accountability like air.”