On a hot summer evening two months ago in the Lebanese capital of Beirut, a catastrophic explosion ripped through the city. It looked like a scene from a disaster movie, but it was very real.
“I don’t even know if I jumped or the wave pushed me but the next second after that I was on the floor and I knew was bleeding.”
– Beirut resident
As the shocking event unfolded, people around the city captured the moment, and its aftermath, on their phones. These videos soon went viral.
“I took my phone and started filming because, of course, I didn’t think that another blast was going to come.”
– Activist
“We are bringing you this now live. What is that noise?? Oh my god! Come in, come inside…Mum!!!”
– livestreamed video
On Monday Four Corners pieces together the story of the explosion, tracking down many of the people who filmed the blast as well as those who were dramatically shown on screen.
“All of a sudden, an explosion and I saw glass breaking… it was the end of mankind. I didn’t know what was happening.”
– Bride
From a bride posing for her wedding photos when the explosion erupted, to divers at sea struck by the blast wave, to the young doctor tending to a woman in labour as the windows exploded in, each has an extraordinary story of survival.
“As the video shows, I was helping the midwife push her into the room and that’s the moment where the explosion happened.”
– Doctor
Using previously unseen footage, the program tracks the final minutes of the emergency responders who had no idea what they were walking into.
“If they had told us there were highly flammable chemicals that might explode, we would have reacted a specific way, not sent people there to their death.”
– Fire brigade commander
Years of dysfunctional government had allowed a huge stockpile of dangerous chemicals to be locked up in a warehouse only metres from homes and businesses. The scale of the destruction was overwhelming and the human toll heartbreaking.
“I just remember I was just screaming, “My baby! My baby! Help my baby!”
– Mother
For reporter Adam Harvey, this is also a very personal story. As the ABC’s Middle East correspondent, he was based in Beirut until earlier this year. In Shock Wave he reports on the city he loves and the people he knows so well. Many friends were injured, and some have had their businesses wiped out.
“Everything is really destroyed. The fabric of our generation and our time is really destroyed, really gone.”
– Café owner
In this city with so many connections to Australia, the pain and grief is immense, as is their anger.
“They allowed this to happen whether it’s by pure negligence or if it was evil, both cases, they are completely guilty.”
– Nightclub owner & activist
It is replayed on Tuesday 6th October at 10.00am and Wednesday 7th at 11.20pm. It can also be seen on ABC NEWS channel on Saturday at 8.10pm AEST, ABC iview and at abc.net.au/4corners.
