Video captures Beirut explosion in middle of bride's photoshoot

Haunting eyewitness video of Tuesday’s explosion in Beirut, Lebanon captured the moment the blast interrupted a bride’s photoshoot.  

Israa Seblani was posing in her wedding gown about one kilometre away from the port where the massive explosion occurred. 

The couple’s wedding videographer, Mahmoud Nakib, released video that shows the blast shockwave blowing away Seblani's gown and bouquet. Nakib was sent stumbling across the street, turning the camera back on the bride as she fled to safety with the groom.

"What happened during the explosion here – there is no word to explain... I was shocked, I was wondering what happened, am I going to die? How am I going to die?" Seblani told Reuters.

Seblani is a doctor working in the United States and had arrived in Beirut three weeks prior to the explosion to plan for her wedding. She and her husband were unharmed.

The blast flattened Beirut's busy port area, sending glass flying and collapsing walls, floors and balconies for kilometres, killing at least 135 people and wounding about 5,000, according to Lebanese officials. It appeared to have been triggered by a fire that touched off a giant quantity of ammonium nitrate fertilizer stored for years in the port.

with files from the Canadian Press