StoryCast 21: EP 12/21 The Beirut Blast: Ghassan's story

August 4, 2021 marks the one year anniversary of the Beirut explosion which killed 211 people, injured 6000 and plunged the Lebanese city into a crisis.Ghassan Hasrouty wasn’t supposed to be working at Beirut’s port on the day of the blast.He’d swapped shifts to allow him to attend an upcoming weekend trip with his wife and children.Ghassan had worked at the port for 38-years. He knew its rhythms well and anticipating that he may have to work through the night, he called home and asked for someone bring him a pillow and blanket.Around the same time, Beirut based Sky News correspondent Zein Ja’Far, was working from his apartment, less than half a mile away when he noticed smoke coming from the port.A fire was about ignite thousands of tonnes of ammonium nitrate, stored near Ghassan's workplace. The lives of the Hasrouty family, and Beirut’s two million residents were about to be changed forever.In 2021, Sky News is marking some of the century’s biggest news events through the personal stories of lives defined by unforgettable moments from the last 21-years.The Beirut Blast: Ghassan’s story is episode 12 of the 21-part series StoryCast ‘21 CREDITS The Beirut Blast: Ghassan’s story was written and produced by Rob Mulhern with Zein Ja’Far.Special thanks to Eli and Tatiana HasroutyResearch and Digital by Tom GillespiePresented by Jayne SeckerSound Design, Rob MulhernTV treatment, Victoria Hudson-GrantHead of Radio, Sky News, Dave TerrisDesign and graphics, Brian GillinghamSocial media, Chris ScottPress and Marketing, Alexandra HortonEmail: [email protected] more on this story log on to www.skynews/storycast21#StoryCast21