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Beirut explosions: Livestream captures moment priest dodges falling rubble as explosion hits during mass

Footage from livestream shows moment force of explosion hits church in Beirut during mass

Claire Lomas
Wednesday 05 August 2020 12:28 BST
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Beirut: Livestream footage captures moment priest dodges falling rubble as explosion hits during mass

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Livestream footage from a church in Beirut shows the terrifying moment the force of Tuesday’s explosions hit while a priest was delivering mass.

A few seconds into the clip, the camera violently shakes as parts of the church begin to fall in. Before the camera filming the livestream falls to the ground, the priest can be seen dashing away from where he was standing.

It is not clear if the priest in the church was injured in the blast.

The blast that swept the Lebanese capital on Tuesday has left more than 100 people dead and 4,000 injured, according to the Lebanese Red Cross.

Miles from the scene of the blast, balconies were knocked down, ceilings collapsed and windows shattered.

Rescue operations continued as dawn broke in the Lebanese capital, with the bodies of many victims feared still buried in the rubble.

It is thought that the explosion was caused by a fire which detonated 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that had been stored at the port for six years.

It struck with the force of a 3.5 magnitude earthquake and was felt as far away as Cyprus, more than 200 kilometres (180 miles) across the Mediterranean.

With additional reporting from Associated Press

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