Beirut

[EggBoxes]

Holy shit. Just seeing this now on Twitter.

@Shadowboy

I know Lebanon very well, I’m Lebanese and even the people are unsure of how this happened. I think it is likely an accident but the tensions rising at the border with Hezbollah and Israel to help to bolster a lot of ‘who caused this?’ questions

Lebanon is struggling; the economy is rock bottom- people couldn’t even withdraw $50 as the banks effectively ‘shut’. Hyperinflation, people committing suicide in the streets; it’s dire.

Lebanon is stunning and could be such a tourist draw but the 11 different sects and its politically volatile neighbours just cannot let this country be the beauty it is.

Thank you for explaining about Lebanon - I am so sad for your country. I always wanted to go when I was younger.

I know most people in Britain don't know much about Lebanon. I was lucky enough to go to Beirut in 2008 and it's still the best city break I have ever been on. Party-loving, warm and generous people - they'd lived through a lot and were rebuilding their country, trying to move forward. I will never forget the characters we met there and I'm thinking of them all now.

Beirut sits on the Mediterranean coastline and when I visited it felt romantic and edgy and ancient and youthful all in one. In 2008 there were cliff-top chill-out bars looking onto Mediterranean sunsets, and stunning state-of-the-art nightclubs and karaoke bars and shopping precincts and beach restaurants and legendary celeb haunts from the heyday of the sixties and seventies, and grocery shops and tea/coffee/shisha bars and the most complete Roman ruins I have ever seen, and we absolutely loved it.

In the innocence/ignorance of youth we took pictures of the few hotels still showing war-time shell-damage, feeling totally safe, blissfully unaware of the economic and governmental issues that have plagued the country since and certainly never imagining the destruction inflicted by this horrendous disaster.

Just wanted to give anyone who doesn't know Lebanon a tiny snapshot of beautiful Beirut as it was then, through the eyes of a northern lass. And to send massive sympathy and love to any Lebanese person reading this with broken heart xxxx

:(

This makes me so sad. I love Lebanon, my ex is Lebanese and I have visited many times.

The country was at breaking before the explosion. 50% of people in poverty and their currency has lost around d 80% of its value.

I hope this is the turning point where they can rebuild the country together. Though with Hezballah causing so many problems it will be difficult. Corruption on all sides needs to end.

The Lebanese are resilient and kind people. I hope life gets better for them.