Accessibility links

Breaking News

Chile's Lebanese Community Gathers for Vigil in Memory of Beirut Explosion Victims


Lebanese residents in Chile hold a vigil for the victims of the deadly explosion which devastated the port and large parts of Beirut, in front of the Lebanon Embassy in Santiago, Chile, Aug. 10, 2020.
Lebanese residents in Chile hold a vigil for the victims of the deadly explosion which devastated the port and large parts of Beirut, in front of the Lebanon Embassy in Santiago, Chile, Aug. 10, 2020.

Members of the Lebanese community in Chile held a candlelight vigil in Santiago Monday night to honor the victims of the massive explosion in Beirut a week ago.

More than two dozen people gathered outside Lebanon's embassy in a show of solidarity for the victims.

The president of the Lebanese Union in Chile, Nissrin Esber, said "even though there is a pandemic, we believe that somehow we had to light candles in honor of the victims."

Children take part in a vigil for the victims of the deadly explosion which devastated the port and large parts of the city of Beirut, in front of the Lebanon Embassy in Santiago, Chile, Aug. 10, 2020.
Children take part in a vigil for the victims of the deadly explosion which devastated the port and large parts of the city of Beirut, in front of the Lebanon Embassy in Santiago, Chile, Aug. 10, 2020.

At least 90,000 Chileans claim Lebanese descent.

The explosion at the Beirut port, which is linked to a massive storage of ammonium nitrate, killed at least 160 people and injured thousands.

The explosion has also triggered a government shake up, with Lebanon Prime Minister Hassan Diab announcing the resignation of his government as many people in Beirut struggle to recover from the devastation of the blast.

  • 16x9 Image

    VOA News

    The Voice of America provides news and information in more than 40 languages to an estimated weekly audience of over 326 million people. Stories with the VOA News byline are the work of multiple VOA journalists and may contain information from wire service reports.

XS
SM
MD
LG