Wedding photographer Mahmoud Nakib was out and about taking pictures of a stunning bride on a sunny day in Beirut before the explosion took place on Tuesday. Completely unaware of the horrific incident that was about to happen, the bride is seen posing in video footage for what was supposed to be the luckiest day of her life.
The smile on her face is soon swept away by the shockwave, which suddenly stirs up her wedding dress and knocks down the camera. The square where the wedding photoshoot was taking place was just around 0.75 miles away from the port where the explosion occurred.
Lebanon’s health minister reported that at least 135 people were killed, 5,000 wounded, and more than 300,000 people have been displaced from their homes. As authorities are investigating the cause of the catastrophe, it is now believed that 2,450 metric tons of the explosive ammonium nitrate may be to blame.
The photographer captured how the catastrophic explosion in Beirut sent a shockwave through the city and swept the bride away
Image credits: WSAV3
Image credits: Mahmoud Nakib
Image credits: Mahmoud Nakib
Image credits: Mahmoud Nakib
The 29-year-old Lebanese bride Israa Seblani stood smiling and posing for her wedding video before, all of a sudden, the deafening shockwave swept through Beirut. Israa and her husband, 34-year-old Ahmad Subeih, were struggling to process all the horror that happened.
The bride told the Guardian that she had been preparing for her big day for two weeks and was so happy to finally be getting married, like all other girls.
Meanwhile, her husband Subeih said that there are no words to explain what happened. “I was shocked, I was wondering what happened, am I going to die? How am I going to die?”
The wedding photoshoot was taking place just 0.75 miles away from the port where the blast happened
Image credits: Mahmoud Nakib
Image credits: Mahmoud Nakib
Image credits: Mahmoud Nakib
The bride and her husband are still in shock. “I have never heard anything similar to the sound of this explosion.” Luckily, the bride and photographer were not injured. After the blast, the newlyweds tried to compose themselves and proceed with celebrations.
Image credits: Mahmoud Nakib
Image credits: Mahmoud Nakib
Image credits: Mahmoud Nakib
Seblani felt extremely sad about what happened to Lebanon and its people, and she’s grateful to be alive. “When I woke up and saw the damage that happened to Beirut, the one thing I said was thank God we are still alive,” she told Reuters.
Photographer Mahmoud Nakib shared the footage of the explosion on his social media
Image credits: Mahmoud Nakib
Image credits: Mahmoud Nakib
Image credits: Mahmoud Nakib
Image credits: Mahmoud Nakib
Image credits: Mahmoud Nakib
Image credits: Mahmoud Nakib
Image credits: Mahmoud Nakib
Image credits: Mahmoud Nakib
Image credits: Mahmoud Nakib
The disaster hit Lebanon, a nation already struggling with an economy in free fall, rising food prices, and the coronavirus pandemic. There are multiple ways to help the victims of the explosion.
The Lebanese Red Cross is seeking donations to help with disaster prevention and relief. Other organisations that are accepting donations to help out the country suffering from the disaster include Lebanese Food Bank, Impact Lebanon, and Amel Association.
People were left horrified
Image credits: Mahmoud Nakib