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Japanese woman experiences the warmth of Lebanese people amid explosion

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07 Aug 2020 12:08:27 GMT9
07 Aug 2020 12:08:27 GMT9

Faris Alrushud

RIYADH: The large-scale explosion that occurred in Lebanon’s capital Beirut on August 4 has killed more than 100 people and wounded thousands, while the damage is likely to have amounted to over $3 to $5 billion.

Arab News Japan got in touch with Ms. Saito, a Japanese woman who lives in Beirut, to get a first-hand account of the incident.

Ms. Saito was on duty at the time of the blast, which took place barely six kilometres away from her office.

“I felt everything shaking like an earthquake,” she said.

But for someone accustomed to earthquakes in Japan, Ms. Saito was quick to react. She cuddled herself safely under a table only to realize later that it was not an earthquake.

However, her colleague suffered some injuries and Ms. Saito, without any hesitation, rushed her to the hospital.

To her horror as she reached her residence she found her house in shambles. The balcony ceiling had collapsed and all the glass doors were shattered.

Ms. Saito has currently moved out of Beirut to stay away from the smoke and the sound of sirens.

Despite whatever she underwent Ms Saito stressed that her respect for the Lebanese people has deepened all the more.

She said that she was impressed by the positive attitude of those who quickly set up temporary hospitals and provided treatment as well as cleaned up the debris.

Ms. Saito commented that this news was also widely reported in Japan and attracted voices of worries and attention, but she said that it would be nice if people would not only stop at confirming the fact that the explosion occurred, but also think about what they could do and act on it.

 She said that she was impressed by the warmth of the Lebanese people who cared for others regardless of how difficult of a situation they were in, and she wanted to give something back as well.

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