The Times podcast: The Beirut explosion, one year later

When a warehouse filled with ammonium nitrate and fireworks exploded at the Port of Beirut on Aug. 4, 2020, it pushed out a fireball into the air, followed by a shock wave that raced inland at supersonic speed. A trail of devastation followed: 200 people dead, thousands wounded and 300,000 homeless.

The Lebanese capital’s more than 2 million residents have spent the last year trying to rebuild not just their lives and buildings but also the pride and confidence of a city and country left in tatters. Their government hasn’t helped.

Today we talk with L.A. Times Middle East bureau chief Nabih Bulos, who was injured in the Beirut explosion. And we hear from relatives of those affected.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guests: L.A. Times Middle East bureau chief Nabih Bulos and Los Angeles-area residents Peggy Bedoyian, Fouad Georges, Rola Batal and Rami Batal

More reading:

Once, they were symbols of promise. The Beirut blast turned them to monuments of despair

Lebanon’s people line up in ‘queues of humiliation’ as their country unravels

A roar, an explosion, then a blank: An L.A. Times reporter’s ordeal in the Beirut blast