The Lebanese bride featured in a video filmed during the Tuesday blast in Beirut says she’s happy to be alive.
In the video, which has been shared widely after the explosion that killed 135 people, Israa Seblani can be seen smiling as a camera swoops in on her before the blast shakes the area and sends the cameraman scrambling for cover.
“What happened during the explosion here — there is no word to explain,” Seblani told Reuters on Wednesday. “I was shocked, I was wondering what happened, am I going to die? How am I going to die?”
Unlucky Lebanese bride poses for photos right before massive #Beirut explosion (Video courtesy of Mahmoud Nakib)https://t.co/4OiK9KOWz9#BeirutBlast pic.twitter.com/mqkeHUxK4L
— Yeni Şafak English (@yenisafakEN) August 5, 2020
The video is a stark reminder of just how quickly a seemingly peaceful day can turn for the worst as shattered glass and flower bouquets littered the courtyard moments after the explosion ripped through the city center of Beirut.
Seblani’s 34-year-old husband, Ahmad Subeih, said the aftermath was difficult to process because it was unlike anything he had seen before.
“We started to walk around, and it was extremely sad. It was not describable the devastation and the sound of the explosion,” he said. “We are still in shock. I have never heard anything similar to the sound of this explosion.”
Investigations into the cause of the explosion are underway, but it is believed the incident happened after more than 2,750 metric tons of ammonium nitrate caught fire, according to Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab.
