'Nobody Deserves This,' Boston Man Worries About Family In Beirut After Blast

BOSTON (CBS) - Several Beirut port officials are under house arrest as the Lebanese government investigates a devastating explosion that killed at least 135 people and injured about 5,000 others.

On Wednesday, hundreds of people were still missing and the frantic search for survivors stretched into the night. One man was pulled from the rubble alive – he'd been trapped for 16 hours. International aid flights began to arrive as Lebanon's leaders struggled to deal with the widespread damage and shocking aftermath of Tuesday's blast.

Sitting on Beacon Hill, Samir Daouk watched helplessly the images of desolation in his beloved Beirut.

"I was horrified. It looks like a movie explosion," said Daouk. "To know that I have so much family there so close to the area that it happened, it was terrifying just trying to reach out to everybody as quickly as possible."

Samir is the first Daouk to be born in the U.S., years after his father left Lebanon to study in Boston. One of his cousins was in a neighborhood less than a mile away from the blast Tuesday. Many of his family members used social media to communicate.

"Thank God everybody is OK," Daouk said. "Lebanon is a beautiful country with beautiful people, and nobody deserves this. But particularly Lebanon; it just feels like they've been getting the short end of the stick for far too long."

It's believed roughly 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate, used in fertilizer and bombs, was responsible for the accidental blast. The explosive material had been stored for years at a port-side warehouse. Local hospitals, already struggling with COVID cases, filled up quickly. Doctors and nurses were forced to treat many in the street.

The country will need all the help it can get, as it's already facing surging coronavirus cases, political unrest and a severe economic crisis. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is one of several leaders pledging urgent assistance to the country.

(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)