A citizen of Beirut was seen thanking firefighters deployed by the French government after the explosion that has left the city destroyed.

Footage from August 6 shows the ruins of the city with debris and vehicles in the street.

Local communities have come together to clean the streets and remove damaged vehicles.

"Welcome to Lebanon and thanks for helping us. Thank you, thank you," says the man.

"It's normal, you are welcome," says the firefighter.

"[I am] your brother...from Lebanon." the man continues.

"Adrien, your brother from France," the firefighter replies.

At least 150 people were killed in the blast with a further 5000 injured.

This footage was filmed and produced 6 August 2020. The exact cause of the Beirut blast is still under investigation, but the catastrophic effects of ammonium nitrate were there for all to see: A massive explosion causing shock waves throughout the city and a mushroom cloud of smoke billowing high into the sky. So far, at least 137 are confirmed dead, including one American, and over 5,000 were injured in the blast, according to the Lebanese authorities. But, according to experts, ammonium nitrate is not itself classified as dangerous, and requires a lot of energy to ignite.
Filmed by Rayan Hajj