Beirut blast survivors recall trauma one year after disaster struck Lebanese capital

A year after a deadly blast flattened a large area of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, survivors including Shady Rizk are still haunted by the trauma of the disaster. The August 4, 2020, explosion, reportedly caused by the ignition of highly explosive materials stored at the city’s main port, killed more than 200 people and injured over 6,000 others. Many Lebanese took to the streets after the blast to voice anger at what they called government failures to prevent the incident and its mishandling of the crisis that followed. Over the year since the explosion, the authorities have reportedly not questioned any top officials about the disaster and the nation continues to struggle with severe economic, political and pandemic challenges.