Beirut explosion: Photo of this nurse with newborn babies has become the symbol of resilience

Moved by the poignant moment, the photographer shared the image on Facebook saying: “16 years of press photography and lots of wars. I can say I didn’t see what I saw today in Ashrafia area, especially in front of the Al Roum Hospital”.

As blast severely damaged communication networks and electricity in the city, the shutterbug added that the nurse at hospital’s maternity ward remained calm and carried on with her job to get additional help “holding three newborn babies and surrounded by dozens of bodies and wounded.”

See the photographer’s original post here:

The photo was shared on multiple platforms from Instagram to Reddit and particularly on Twitter where the unidentified nurse was hailed a ‘hero’ and ‘angel’ by people across the globe. Many also wondered how she remained calm and lauded her for her efforts to protect the babies.

Following the #BeirutBlast, a nurse at Roum Hospital holding triplets while trying to make a call. (pic by Bilal Jawich)
Not all angels have wings … 🕊#BeirutExplosion pic.twitter.com/ufcMPCTXLa

— حسن سجواني 🇦🇪 Hassan Sajwani (@HSajwanization) August 4, 2020

A hero nurse in #Beirut protects 3 newborns while calling for help after the huge explosion. Just heartbreakingly awful 💔 Photo credit: Bilal Jawich #Lebanon pic.twitter.com/EfJX1iS8En

— Pip Tomson (@PipTomson) August 5, 2020

صورة العام بلا منازع.
ممرضة في مستشفى #الروم في #بيروت
تحضن ٣ مواليد بعد انفجار داخل المستشفى وانقطاع الكهرباء!

اللي عنده أي معلومات عنها
يزودني فيها تستحق التكريم والله pic.twitter.com/8mijn9GBCG

— مع حمد قلم (@7amadQalam) August 4, 2020

Can’t say why but this photo, somehow, it’s the most powerful I’ve ever seen. EVER!!! This one got a reaction out of me. It’ll stay w/ me for awhile.

— Clarence Willix (@clarencewillix) August 5, 2020

I had tough day covering #Lebanon today. Seeing civilians and the beautiful #Beirut devastated and destroyed broke my heart. But there are always heroes.
This hero nurse rushed to protect these three new born babies and gave them a new life.
Photo credit : Bilal Jawich pic.twitter.com/lMQD3kieTp

— Razan Ibraheem (@RazanIbraheem_) August 4, 2020

Those three little heads. :( It’s absolutely necessary in her situation, but I still can’t believe how calm the nurse is.

— simeon chadwick (@simcha1972) August 4, 2020

Hero’s don’t always wear capes…but they do run into harm and look after the vulnerable…thank you Bilal Jawich…..world needs more people like you. pic.twitter.com/rcnUwwYFYp

— Andrew (@Wpg1SportsFan) August 5, 2020

Health care workers are consistently the people who give me hope during this awful year. https://t.co/x0tOlwlO70

— Andrea Ross (@_rossandrea) August 5, 2020

An angel watching over these 3 angels…Bless all of their hearts and may God/Allah/ watch over them and everyone in Beirut while they deal with crisis upon crisis right now…All are in my prayers. From a Lebanese sister in the US.

— LegalRevolutionary (@K_KirwinLaw) August 4, 2020

The world would be a better place with more people like this woman. True hero to the fullest extent

— john (@secord_j) August 5, 2020

Those little feet. I hope the mamas are ok. Dear God how awful. She’s a hero.

— Esme Mae Won’t Be Silenced (@EsmeWon) August 5, 2020

What a hero. Some small glimmer of hope amongst tragedy.
‘A nurse saves three infants during the Beirut explosion’ https://t.co/dFEj5FIoTG

— Drew (@UchihaDrewYT) August 5, 2020

I usually don’t like sharing images of other people’s suffering, but this one is such a powerful reminder of all the caregivers across the world who are calling for help right now. https://t.co/dO8t3Nq7nW

— Priya Lal (@priyalalista) August 5, 2020

Several of my friends with family in Beirut describe lots of chaos and emergency rooms that are overwhelmed.

But perhaps this picture says it better than words … https://t.co/CsGp1ngYRC

— C. Michael Gibson MD (@CMichaelGibson) August 5, 2020

This photo. This reality. This world. So heartbreaking and so full of goodness and hope. https://t.co/Yn0L6SGvdO

— Audrey M Berkman😳😂😱🤯🤬☕️🍫🐾💕 (@audmar) August 5, 2020

An actual representation of hope and humanity ❤️❤️ https://t.co/4M3jqKsj80

— Samar Elhussieny (@S_Elhussieny) August 4, 2020

Saint George Hospital University Medical Center also known as Al Roum Hospital, is one of the oldest medical institution in Lebanon was severely damaged by the explosion. The facility’s disaster management spokesman George Saad said the damage left the hospital non-operational. “There are a lot of victims, we lost four nurses and patients, visitors, many dead and many injured, we had like 200 injured,” Saad was quoted by English Alarabiya.

Interviewing ER doctors at some of Beirut’s biggest hospitals, and they are crying. St. George Hospital is destroyed. Patients streamed down the stairs to exit the hospital, bc elevators were damaged. Children being treated for cancer are now wounded from flying glass shards.

— Maria Abi-Habib (@Abihabib) August 4, 2020

Watch: The Saint George hospital in the Geitawi neighborhood of #Beirut has been damaged and is without electricity, with doctors treating patients in the parking lot following the blasts in Port Beirut, footage from our correspondent shows.#Lebanonhttps://t.co/GIZh87KXCO pic.twitter.com/sR0CAPHrSp

— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) August 4, 2020

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Hospitals in Lebanon’s capital have been forced to treat the injured in parking lots after the explosion damaged hospitals buildings and left a big part of Beirut without electricity.

Hospitals in #Lebanon’s capital are treating patients in parking lots after multiple explosions damaged hospitals and left a big part of #Beirut without electricity.https://t.co/GIZh87KXCO pic.twitter.com/eLoJJ4jpsL

— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) August 4, 2020

Over 4000 people were wounded and more than 100 were killed during the blasts in Downtown Beirut on Tuesday, Lebanon’s health minister said. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, with the blast wrecking damages in the hospital building, healthcare workers in the country have emerged as heroes amid the crisis.