Lebanon priests recount horror of explosion
Lebanese priest Marwan Mouawad (center) celebrating mass at Saint Maron Church, Bauchrieh, in Beirut on August 9. (AP Photo / Hussein Malla)
The video shows Rabih Thoumy swinging a chain censer, sending smoke into the air, when abruptly there is a rumble and then a loud bang as the shock wave from Beirut’s devastating explosion slams into the church.
Thoumy darts for cover as stained glass and other debris fall from above. The camera tips over, coming to rest focused on a carpeting of glass shards covering the floor.
The world witnessed fleeting glimpses of the horror wrought on the Lebanese people on August 4 through videos that circulated widely online, among them that dramatic footage as Thoumy celebrated mass via livestream from Saint Maron Church, Bauchrieh.
