Beirut Firefighters Photographed Moments Before Blast

Aug. 7, 2020
Images show three firefighters trying to enter a warehouse in the Lebanese capital's port containing tons of ammonium nitrate right before a massive explosion killed 137 people.

A photo and video capture Beirut firefighters moments before a massive warehouse explosion to that killed at least 137 people Tuesday.

In the photo, which was verified by the Daily Mail, three firefighters are seen trying to access the warehouse at the Lebanese capital's port. The warehouse contained roughly 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate, which is believed to have caused the explosion with the force of 1,100 tons of TNT.

Firefighters Jo Noon, Methal Hawwa and Najib Hati—who responded so quickly he didn't have time to put on turnout gear—are believed to be pictured in the image, the New York Post reports. They are among 10 missing firefighters of a rapid response team, and paramedic specialist Sahar Faris, 25, has been confirmed dead.

A funeral was held for Faris in her hometown of Qaa, according to the Mail. She was engaged to be married next year.

The three firefighters in the photo, along with another member who is believed to be Faris, were the first to the warehouse. Six additional firefighters followed in an apparatus.

"When the smoke first started gathering, we sent a unit of 10 people," a fire official told the Mail. "Six were in the fire engine and four in the emergency response car. The three men in the famous photograph were first on the scene trying to unlock the door to Warehouse 12.

"Following them were the colleagues in the other vehicles," the official added. "The blast hit all of them."