A Saint John restaurant owner originally from Lebanon heard the Beirut explosion in real-time.
Alex Haran of Let’s Hummus said his wife was speaking to her sister when it happened.
“It was on speaker and we heard almost all the screaming and the glass breaking. We heard a loud explosion and then we lost connection,” Haran said.
Haran said his wife was able to reach her family later and everyone is safe.
“It was a little bit scary for us. My wife was screaming and panicking in the house until we reached my mother-in-law and started getting the informations,” Haran said.
Beirut Port Explosion
— Lebanese Red Cross (@RedCrossLebanon) August 4, 2020
He knows people who were killed including close family friends.
Haran said he stayed up until 4 a.m. following the news from Beirut and getting in touch with friends and family there.
“They’re scared. Everyone has a loss whether it’s a life loss whether it’s an injury, a house loss, a car loss. Everyone has a loss in this situation,” Haran said.
Haran moved to Montreal from Lebanon as a toddler and his family moved to Saint John in 2017.
Harran owns Let’s Hummus on Water Street and the Lebanese Baker on Main Street north.
