Rescuers Find Man Alive at Sea 30 Hours After Devastating Blast in Beirut's Port

Rescuers in Lebanon have found a man alive at sea 30 hours after a devastating explosion occurred in Beirut's port. Amin al-Zahed went missing after the blast and a photo of him was uploaded on an Instagram account created to locate missing people. He has been admitted to the Rafic Hariri University Hospital. There is no information about how he managed to survive at sea for so long after the blast.

Amin al-Zahed is not the only person whom rescuers have managed to save. A young girl was pulled out from under the rubble 24 hours after the blast on 5 August. Dozens of people are still missing. A French rescue team working at the site said there was still a good chance of finding survivors two days after the devastating explosion.

Authorities say the blast was caused by 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that had been stored unsafely in a warehouse at the port since 2013 after it was unloaded from a ship that sailed under a Moldovan flag that experienced technical difficulties. Several port officials have been arrested as officials are conducting an investigation. The head of the port said that employees had written letters to the country’s judiciary asking them for permission to sell or move the dangerous chemical compound, which is used as a fertiliser in agriculture, but also as an explosive.