- Title: For Beirut blast survivor leaving Lebanon, everyday is Aug. 4
- Date: 2nd August 2021
- Summary: SIN EL FIL, LEBANON (JULY 30, 2021) (REUTERS) RIZK SITTING ON A HAMMOCK ON THE TERRACE OF HIS HOUSE IN THE SUBURBS OF BEIRUT VARIOUS OF RIZK'S SCARS FROM THE BLAST NEXT TO A TATTOO ON HIS LEG, ON HIS FACE AND ON HIS KNEE RIZK SITTING ON HAMMOCK (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SURVIVOR WOUNDED IN THE BEIRUT PORT BLAST, SHADY RIZK, SAYING: "I don't feel safe in my country, this is why I want to leave. I want to leave and this is the hardest decision I took in my life." VARIOUS OF RIZK PETTING HIS DOG ON THE ROOFTOP OF HIS HOUSE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SURVIVOR WOUNDED IN THE BEIRUT PORT BLAST, SHADY RIZK, SAYING: "As August 4 approaches, I feel internal angriness that is very bothering, especially that no one has yet been arrested, no one resigned, no one is in jail... The truth is not yet known, the truth they promised us in 10 or 5 days." AERIAL SHOT SHOWING RIZK STANDING ON HIS TERRACE / VIEW OF BEIRUT PORT AND SUBURBS BEIRUT, LEBANON (JULY 30, 2021) (REUTERS) BEIRUT PORT'S DAMAGED SILOS RIZK WALKING NEXT TO HIS NOW-DAMAGED OFFICE FACING BEIRUT PORT / RISK GESTURING TOWARDS HIS OFFICE BUILDING VARIOUS OF RIZK'S DAMAGED OFFICE BUILDING WHERE HE WAS AT THE MOMENT OF THE BLAST RIZK WALKING PAST DEBRIS FROM BEIRUT BLAST, IN THE STREET OF HIS NOW-DAMAGED OFFICE AND SAYING (Arabic): "It is a very sad feeling that I won't be coming here anymore... I don't know." DEBRIS FROM FALSE CEILING INSIDE DAMAGED BUILDING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SURVIVOR WOUNDED IN THE BEIRUT PORT BLAST, SHADY RIZK, SAYING: "What I remember most is when they brought us down, and I couldn't see but I could hear the screams of people in the surrounding buildings, they were dying, screaming, this is very traumatized (traumatizing), it hurts a lot, deep in the heart, especially that I couldn't see so your brain had to imagine what was happening around me." RIZK'S DAMAGED OFFICE BUILDING WHERE HE WAS AT THE MOMENT OF THE BLAST VARIOUS OF RIZK TAKING PICTURES OF HIS DAMAGED OFFICE BUILDING DEBRIS FROM BLAST PILED UP NEXT TO THE STREET / TRAFFIC PASSING BY (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SURVIVOR WOUNDED IN THE BEIRUT PORT BLAST, SHADY RIZK, SAYING: "I am still healing. Until now, there's a lot of scars that didn't yet heal... there's still a lot of glass, and it looks like there will still be glass coming out and more scars appearing. The internal scars are even worse, I may physically heal eventually but psychologically, I don't know when I will heal." RIZK WALKING AND POINTING TO A SPOT NEAR HIS OFFICE BUILDING BEIRUT PORT'S DAMAGED SILOS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SURVIVOR WOUNDED IN THE BEIRUT PORT BLAST, SHADY RIZK, SAYING: "They usually say if you break your arm on a certain day, one year later you would feel the same pain in the same spot. So I am afraid to feel what I felt (on August 4, 2020) because it was an indescribable pain." TRAFFIC IN GEMMAYZEH STREET NEAR BEIRUT PORT VARIOUS OF RIZK STANDING ON THE SIDE OF THE STREET TALKING / SCARS STILL VISIBLE ON HIS LEGS, ARMS AND FACE DAMAGED HOUSE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SURVIVOR WOUNDED IN THE BEIRUT PORT BLAST, SHADY RIZK, SAYING: "I honestly don't know what I will do on August 4 (2021) but for sure, I will be on the streets, I will be here." DAMAGED HOUSE VARIOUS OF RIZK WALKING NEXT TO LEBANON'S ELECTRICITY COMPANY IN FRONT OF BEIRUT PORT AND TAKING PICTURES
- Embargoed: 16th August 2021 10:17
- Keywords: August 4 Lebanon Shady Rizk anniversary blast blast survivor immigration investigation leaving memories mental health scars survivor
- Location: SIN EL FIL AND BEIRUT, LEBANON
- City: SIN EL FIL AND BEIRUT, LEBANON
- Country: Lebanon
- Topics: Disaster/Accidents,Middle East
- Reuters ID: LVA004EOL7WAV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: For Beirut blast survivor Shady Rizk, time has stopped since Aug. 4 last year when a huge stockpile of ammonium nitrate exploded in the Lebanese capital's port opposite his office.
"Every day is Aug. 4, every day," the 36-year-old said.
"Every day, I remember the blast or remember what happened that dreadful day."
The gigantic explosion killed more than 200 people, injured thousands, and destroyed large parts of city.
Rizk was in the office where he works for an internet provider and was filming the smoke rising from an initial explosion at the port when the second blast hit.
It left him with 350 stitches all over his body and face, and partially impaired his vision.
Having survived the near-death experience, Rizk considers Aug. 4 his re-birth and he now wants to continue this new chapter of his life away from Lebanon.
"I don't feel safe in my country, this is why I want to leave...This is the hardest decision I took in my life," Rizk said.
He has now applied for immigration to Canada and plans to be there by October this year. Meanwhile, he still lives at his family house in a Beirut suburb with a view on the port, a daily reminder of his traumatic experience.
As Wednesday's anniversary of the blast nears, Rizk says his "internal angriness" grows, fuelled by the stalling of an investigation into the blast. He is one of many Lebanese angry at the lack of accountability one year later.
"No one has yet been arrested, no one resigned, no one is in jail...The truth is not yet known," Rizk said.
Rizk's doctor is still extracting glass from his body. And even though many of his scars have now been treated, he is "still healing" both physically and mentally.
"The internal scars are even worse, I may physically heal eventually but psychologically, I don't know when I will heal," he said, speaking as he stood in the street of his damaged office facing the port's wrecked silos.
Rizk is still unsure of his exact plans on the day of the blast anniversary. He fears it will bring back memories of "indescribable pain" but is certain he wants to be on the streets near the port, expressing his anger.
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