Dozens of people attended a vigil at the Vancouver Art Gallery Wednesday night to remember those killed in the Beirut explosion.
About 50 people gathered to sing the Lebanese national anthem, light candles and talk about their loved ones back home.
“My brother-in-law, he is in the hospital with a concussion but he was one of the very lucky few that was able to get treatment and is relatively OK and safe,” Sabrina Chammas Doumet told Global News.
“His home is completely destroyed.”
A massive portion of Beirut was obliterated on Tuesday when a pair of explosions tore through the city.
The source of at least one blast is believed to be 2,700 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that was being stored at the Port of Beirut.
At least 135 people were killed and more than 5,000 injured, though authorities expect both numbers to rise.
The country is already on the brink of political and economic collapse, and with damage from the blast pegged at anywhere between $3 billion and $5 billion, the need for aid and assistance is desperate.
“Something needs to break until everything comes together and starts healing,” Haitham El Khabib, who attended the vigil in Vancouver, told Global News.
The Canadian government announced it would contribute up to $5 million in humanitarian aid to Lebanon, including $1.5 million specifically for the Lebanese Red Cross.
— With files from Rachael D’Amore
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