The Lebanese community in London, Ont., is mourning after a tragedy involving a deadly explosion that shook Lebanon‘s capital city.
At least 100 people are dead and more than 4,000 are injured after a massive explosion in Beirut on Tuesday, according to the Lebanese Red Cross.
The toll is expected to rise.
Londoner Ali Chahbar told 980 CFPL Wednesday that the news devastated him and those around him.
“When I (saw) the video of the explosion, like everybody else, I was nervous, but I was nervous for other reasons.”
“I have my family who lives in Lebanon. I have my grandma, aunts and uncles and cousins. So naturally, when you hear about something like this, you mind gravitates to ‘are they there? Are they okay?'”
Chahbar says thankfully, no one in his family was directly impacted by the blast.
The source of the explosion is not yet clear, but the country’s interior minister told a local television station on Tuesday that the suspected cause was the detonation of roughly 2,700 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored in a confiscation warehouse at the dock since 2014.
Though an investigation is underway, an official source told Reuters that preliminary findings suggest “negligence” and years of inaction over the stockpile is to blame. The source said it had come under scrutiny in the past and that “nothing was done” to remove or dispose of it.
Beirut’s governor, Marwan Abboud, said damage could be upwards of $5 billion.
‘Without even focusing on the who, the what, the why, the where, you would know based on the explosion that there would be (a) loss of life,” said Chahbar.
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Majed Fiaani, the president of the Lebanese Canadian Club of London, told 980 CFPL that members of the club felt shattered when they heard the news.
“Myself, my colleagues, my friends were all in a state of disappointment, shock and really feeling sad.”
The club is committed to helping out, and Fiaani says they’re hosting an urgent meeting Wednesday night to discuss fundraising ideas.
The president, who is also a doctor, says one of their main focuses is supporting Lebanon’s health-care system, which has also been impacted by COVID-19.
“We’re quite worried and concerned about a lack of medication and medical supplies in Lebanon, so we want to reach out to hospitals,” Fiaani said.
“There is a hospital in Lebanon that was almost destroyed by this event, so we’re trying to reach different organizations to see if we can help.”
The club also plans of reach out to several politicians to see if they can assist with things such as exporting medical supplies.
“Also, the port has been destroyed, so we want to organize to get funds to rebuilt the areas that have been destroyed, especially the port,” said Fiaani. “It’s a very important economic centre for the country.
The club has also put ‘helping schools and children’ on their to-do list.
“I think the need is going to be massive,” Fiaani said.
Fiaani says he has no family in Lebanon, but Chahbar do.
Chahbar remembers what the state of the country was like just 30 years ago.
“Lebanon was just absolutely decimated by a civil war for 15 years, and it only ended in 1990. Relatively speaking, that’s not that long ago, so it’s in the collective psyche in the minds and hearts of the people there,” Chahbar said.
“I went to Lebanon with my family back in 1989, and even I can remember some of this stuff taking place,” he continued.
“I don’t know if (explosions) will ever become normal, but the (way) you and I may react here to an explosion versus the way they over there may react is (not the same).
“There really isn’t anything that Lebanon hasn’t seen or dealt with, but the Lebanese people will come out of this (stronger) than before. They’ve been through it and they’ll persevere like they have in the past.”
Chahbar says he knows the Lebanese community in London will stand up and act immediately to support Beirut.
“There’s this (indescribable) bond that unites us. Whenever there’s a tragedy, (we) all come together.”
“We’re thinking of them and doing everything possible to reach out to them and to help them and to be on their side,” Fiaani added.
On Wednesday, the City of London announced it would be lowering the flags at City Hall to show solidarity with the Lebanese community.
— With files from Global News
Note: A previous version of this article stated Ali Chahbar as the outreach coordinator for the London Muslim Mosque, who has the same name. 980 CFPL deeply regrets the error.
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