A shocking explosion at the port area of Beirut claimed the lives of around 135 and injured nearly 5,000 others on Tuesday evening. The shockwaves of the blast reached as far as the International Airport's passenger terminal, which is about nine km away.
Videos of the incident were shared on social media platforms, which left people around the world in a state of shock and sorrow. The President of Lebanon Michel Aoun mentioned that the explosion took place by the detonation of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that was stored unsafely at a warehouse. Many homes were destroyed by the blast and many people have landed in a terrible crisis as the nation continues to fight against the coronavirus or COVID-19 crisis along with this.
79-year-old Playing Piano Surrounded by the Ruins
But one grandmother was able to find solace amid all the chaos, as she found out that her beloved piano had survived the blast. The house in which May Abboud Melki had lived for 60 years was left in shambles as the furniture was scattered around, holes in the walls and glass and rubble all around the place.
As stated by her granddaughter, May-Lee Melki, the house had witnessed a lot over the years, so it was heartbreaking to see it in such a condition. "It survived the entire civil war... It witnessed bullets go through it," she told CNN. Both of her grandparents were not at home during the explosion.
After May returned to her house, she went straight to her piano, which was a wedding gift from her father.m The 79-year-old woman sat down and started playing Auld Land Syne. Ther video of the woman playing the piano has gone viral on social media.
According to reports, the woman then moved on to playing Arabic hymns on her piano, which was surprisingly not damaged by the blast. "She pushed through the pain and tried to have a few moments of peace. To see her lean into her faith, lean into God was something that was a strong message to her community and our family immediately," May-Lee mentioned.
