Fury churns in shattered Beirut as funerals begin
Lebanon began an official period of national mourning Thursday, two days after a powerful explosion in Beirut flattened whole neighborhoods in the bustling metropolis, even as rescue crews from around the world began arriving to help in the search for survivors.
The official death toll rose to 137, but with more than 5,000 people injured and miles of debris still covering the area around the epicenter of the blast at the Port of Beirut, officials said it would take time to determine the true number of victims.
Lebanese army bulldozers plowed through the wreckage, trying to clear roads so emergency workers could reach the hardesthit areas. Residents of the capital, widely known for their resilience forged during years of civil war, fanned out across the city to sort through the wreckage and start what promises to be a herculean task of rebuilding.
As international aid workers flooded into the country, French President Emmanuel Macron visited downtown Beirut on Thursday, where he promised to provide assistance, including “several tons of medical equipment,” and received a warm welcome from opponents of the government.
“I want to meet with all Lebanese political forces for very frank discussions,” said Mr. Macron, whose country is Lebanon’s former colonial ruler, when he arrived. “Because beyond the explosion, we know that the crisis here is severe. It implies a historic responsibility for the current leaders.”
Rima Tarabay, who lives near the port, captured the public’s exhaustion with a government riven by factions, plagued by corruption and marked by incompetence.
“The Lebanese are in the streets, showing great solidarity, and the authorities are just absent,” she said. “It’s impressive on the one hand, desolating on the other.”
With more than 250,000 people displaced from their homes, local leaders said they were scrambling to meet their needs. Several of the city’s main hospitals are no longer usable, and health officials said they were running out of supplies to treat the wounded.
Funerals for those killed in the explosion began Thursday, with small groups of mourners gathering across the city to bury the dead.