KEY POINTS

  • Israa Seblani arrived in the city three weeks before the catastrophe to prepare for her wedding 
  • She is a doctor working in the United States
  • The explosion killed at least 135 people and injured over 5,000

Dramatic footage of a bride posing for her wedding video right before the massive explosion rocked the Lebanese capital of Beirut has gone viral. The deadly explosion that took place Tuesday, Aug. 4, killed at least 135 people and injured over 5,000.

In the video, the bride, identified as 29-year-old Israa Seblani, is seen smiling wearing a long white gown when an explosion is heard in the background and she is blown off her feet. The photographer then pans the camera to show the debris. The video ends with everybody involved in the wedding shoot running for their lives.

Speaking to Reuters, the bride, a doctor working in the United States, said she arrived in the city three weeks before the catastrophe to prepare for her wedding with a city-based businessman.

"I have been preparing for my big day for two weeks and I was so happy like all other girls, 'I am getting married.' My parents are going to be happy seeing me in a white dress, I will be looking like a princess," she told Reuters.

"What happened during the explosion here - there is no word to explain ... I was shocked, I was wondering what happened, am I going to die? How am I going to die?" she added.

Recalling the aftermath, she said, "We started to walk around and it was extremely sad, it was not describable the devastation and the sound of the explosion. We are still in shock ... I have never heard anything similar to the sound of this explosion."

"I feel so sad about what happened to other people, about what happened to Lebanon. When I woke up and saw the damage that happened to Beirut, the one thing I said was thank God we are still alive," she added.

Meanwhile, the explosion, which was possibly caused by 2,700 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse near the city’s cargo port, has left at least 250,000 people homeless.

Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab said he "will not rest until we find the person responsible for what happened, to hold him accountable and impose the most severe penalties."

A picture taken on August 5, 2020 shows the damaged grain silo and a burnt boat at Beirut's harbour, a day after a powerful explosion tore through Lebanon's capital,when a huge depot of ammonium nitrate ignited at the city's main port
A picture taken on August 5, 2020 shows the damaged grain silo and a burnt boat at Beirut's harbour, a day after a powerful explosion tore through Lebanon's capital,when a huge depot of ammonium nitrate ignited at the city's main port AFP / STR