Relatives in Malmö worried about the situation in Beirut

SVT Nyheter Skåne has met relatives of affected families in Beirut.

- It is not possible to describe the feeling in words. I did not think it was true when I saw the videos, says Malmö resident Abdul Turk.

He contacted relatives in Lebanon to ask if the explosion in Beirut had really happened. The answer was that everything he had seen and heard was true.

- It felt like a scam when I saw the news. I called right away and heard my cousin screaming. She thought it was an earthquake, says Lina Cheikh, also from Malmö.

There has long been political unrest in the country and dissatisfaction among the inhabitants is growing stronger day by day.

- People died there before the explosion, but this was a faster death for the Lebanese, says Ahmad Khorbatly, also from Malmö.

More and more people are demanding answers from politicians and want to know why the highly explosive substance ammonium nitrate was preserved among people in Beirut for several years.

More than 150 people have been confirmed dead in the explosion, more than 6,000 people have been injured, more than 300,000 have become homeless and many missing people are still wanted among the ruins. At present, many civilians are helping each other in the midst of the crisis, but the lack of resources makes rescue work more difficult.

- It hurts to see the children who are in this. Lebanon is a very beautiful country and I am sure that everything will be rebuilt, says Lina Cheikh.