Lebanese Lifelong Scars: A Reminder of Beirut's Blast

Published August 20th, 2020 - 04:42 GMT

On 4th of August the clocks stopped at 6:07pm, Lebanese lives have changed forever when 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, which is a chemical compound commonly used as an agricultural fertilizer, blew off in the port of Beirut.

The blast, which is considered one of the most powerful in the world, has killed around 220 and injured over 5,000 others while an estimated 300,000 people were left homeless and it is believed to be heard more than 200 kilometres away in Cyprus.

Some of the injure cases were very serious leaving a scar on their bodies forever as several have lost one of their eyes, while the disappointment scar on the heart believed to hurt the most.

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Lebanese doctor Selim Nasser displays the image of a patient's body who was hit by small lead pellets. ANWAR AMRO / AFP

Sama al-Hamad, 6-year-old Syrian girl who lost her left eye in the August 4 cataclysmic explosion, poses for a picture on the roof of her damaged house in Beirut's Mar Mikhael district overlooking the blast site on August 16, 2020. AFP/File

Rony Mecattaf, 59-year-old psychotherapist who lost his right eye in the August 4 cataclysmic explosion, poses for a picture at his psychotherapy clinic in Beirut's neighbourhood of Ashrafieh on August 15, 2020. ANWAR AMRO / AFP

Maroun Dagher, 34-year-old web developer who lost sight in one eye due to the August 4 cataclysmic explosion, poses for a picture during his third checkup at the Eye and Ear hospital, north of the Lebanese capital Beirut, on August 17, 2020. ANWAR AMRO / AFP

Lebanese makeup artist Sharbel Hasbany, 29, who was injured in the massive Beirut port explosion, displays an image on his phone of himself after the blast, during an interview at home in the Sin el-Fil neighbourhood of the Lebanese capital, on August 16, 2020. ANWAR AMRO / AFP

Yara, a 3-year-old girl, who was injured in the massive Beirut port explosion. Twitter

Lebanese doctor Selim Nasser displays the image of a patient's body. ANWAR AMRO / AFP

Firas Hamdan, a 33-year-old Lebanese lawyer, displays his scar. ANWAR AMRO / AFP

Lebanese doctor Selim Nasser displays the image of a patient's body who was hit by small lead pellets. ANWAR AMRO / AFP
Sama al-Hamad, 6-year-old Syrian girl who lost her left eye in the August 4 cataclysmic explosion, poses for a picture on the roof of her damaged house in Beirut's Mar Mikhael district overlooking the blast site on August 16, 2020. AFP/File
Rony Mecattaf, 59-year-old psychotherapist who lost his right eye in the August 4 cataclysmic explosion, poses for a picture at his psychotherapy clinic in Beirut's neighbourhood of Ashrafieh on August 15, 2020. ANWAR AMRO / AFP
Maroun Dagher, 34-year-old web developer who lost sight in one eye due to the August 4 cataclysmic explosion, poses for a picture during his third checkup at the Eye and Ear hospital, north of the Lebanese capital Beirut, on August 17, 2020. ANWAR AMRO / AFP
Lebanese makeup artist Sharbel Hasbany, 29, who was injured in the massive Beirut port explosion, displays an image on his phone of himself after the blast, during an interview at home in the Sin el-Fil neighbourhood of the Lebanese capital, on August 16, 2020. ANWAR AMRO / AFP
Yara, a 3-year-old girl, who was injured in the massive Beirut port explosion. Twitter
Lebanese doctor Selim Nasser displays the image of a patient's body. ANWAR AMRO / AFP
Firas Hamdan, a 33-year-old Lebanese lawyer, displays his scar. ANWAR AMRO / AFP
Lebanese doctor Selim Nasser displays the image of a patient's body who was hit by small lead pellets. ANWAR AMRO / AFP
Lebanese doctor Selim Nasser displays the image of a patient's body who was hit by small lead pellets. ANWAR AMRO / AFP
Sama al-Hamad, 6-year-old Syrian girl who lost her left eye in the August 4 cataclysmic explosion, poses for a picture on the roof of her damaged house in Beirut's Mar Mikhael district overlooking the blast site on August 16, 2020. AFP/File
Sama al-Hamad, 6-year-old Syrian girl who lost her left eye in the August 4 cataclysmic explosion, poses for a picture on the roof of her damaged house in Beirut's Mar Mikhael district overlooking the blast site on August 16, 2020. AFP/File
Rony Mecattaf, 59-year-old psychotherapist who lost his right eye in the August 4 cataclysmic explosion, poses for a picture at his psychotherapy clinic in Beirut's neighbourhood of Ashrafieh on August 15, 2020. ANWAR AMRO / AFP
Rony Mecattaf, 59-year-old psychotherapist who lost his right eye in the August 4 cataclysmic explosion, poses for a picture at his psychotherapy clinic in Beirut's neighbourhood of Ashrafieh on August 15, 2020. ANWAR AMRO / AFP
Maroun Dagher, 34-year-old web developer who lost sight in one eye due to the August 4 cataclysmic explosion, poses for a picture during his third checkup at the Eye and Ear hospital, north of the Lebanese capital Beirut, on August 17, 2020. ANWAR AMRO / AFP
Maroun Dagher, 34-year-old web developer who lost sight in one eye due to the August 4 cataclysmic explosion, poses for a picture during his third checkup at the Eye and Ear hospital, north of the Lebanese capital Beirut, on August 17, 2020. ANWAR AMRO / AFP
Lebanese makeup artist Sharbel Hasbany, 29, who was injured in the massive Beirut port explosion, displays an image on his phone of himself after the blast, during an interview at home in the Sin el-Fil neighbourhood of the Lebanese capital, on August 16, 2020. ANWAR AMRO / AFP
Lebanese makeup artist Sharbel Hasbany, 29, who was injured in the massive Beirut port explosion, displays an image on his phone of himself after the blast, during an interview at home in the Sin el-Fil neighbourhood of the Lebanese capital, on August 16, 2020. ANWAR AMRO / AFP
Yara, a 3-year-old girl, who was injured in the massive Beirut port explosion. Twitter
Yara, a 3-year-old girl, who was injured in the massive Beirut port explosion. Twitter
Lebanese doctor Selim Nasser displays the image of a patient's body. ANWAR AMRO / AFP
Lebanese doctor Selim Nasser displays the image of a patient's body. ANWAR AMRO / AFP
Firas Hamdan, a 33-year-old Lebanese lawyer, displays his scar. ANWAR AMRO / AFP
Firas Hamdan, a 33-year-old Lebanese lawyer, displays his scar. ANWAR AMRO / AFP

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