Sorrow for Beirut

In the car on the way to a long summer evening, the videos suddenly came in. On top of that, there was a missed call from my best friend. I know I shouldn't, but I quickly opened my messages with a worried feeling. “Beirut,” he wrote.

A huge cloud rose from something that looked like a depot, but suddenly there was that devastating bang that seemed to wipe everything away. My breath stopped somewhere in my throat and I only thought about the mother and family of his wife. “Is everyone safe?” I sent. Aside from some broken windows, thank God they all seemed to be. What a miracle it is, when you see the devastation.

Now already more than 100 dead, over 4000 injured people and we haven't even talked about those who are missing. It is heartbreaking to see the newly established Instagram account where photos of men and women who have not yet been found are being posted. Where 1000 messages per minute are coming in, beds for homeless people are being offered, lists of names are being shared that are undergoing operations as we speak.

In the first hours, all sorts of stories circulated, but now it turns out to be 2750 tons of ammonium nitrate, reports the president of Lebanon, which can explode under the wrong conditions. This beast has been sitting in the middle of the city's port for six years. That vibrant Beirut, which has already endured so much.