Heartwarming video shows baby one year on after being born during blast in Lebanon's capital

'I will tell him how his birth was a ray of light amid all the darkness'

A heartwarming video shows a mum and dad playing with their one-year-old son - a year after he was born during the Beirut blast at St. George Hospital.

The blast last year on August 4, 2020 tore through the Lebanese capital at 6:07pm, destroying entire neighbourhoods and killing at least 214 people, including 22 at St. George Hospital.

Describing what it was like to give birth during the blast, Emmanuelle Khnaisser, Beirut Port blast survivor and mother of George said she mustered her strength to through the frightening circumstances.

"I was thinking about my family. I am thinking of Eddy's family. I was thinking of everything that was happening at the hospital but I refused to think that something wrong happened to them because, enough, George has to be born."

Emmanuelle Khnaisser gave birth to George during the blast in Beirut

Ms Khnaisser said: "I gathered all my strength in that moment and removed all negative ideas and concentrated because I just wanted George to come out."

She added:"When George was born, I couldn't believe that he was actually crying. I couldn't believe that my son was born.

"When they put him on my chest, I felt so much guilt, I told him, sorry mama, sorry darling that you had to be born this way." she said.

Drone footage from August 2020 showing the damage from the blast in Beirut

She continued: "I will tell him how his birth was a ray of light amid all the darkness. He was the hope for me and from this tragedy that happened, he was my hope."

George's father, Edmond Khnaisser, described the rollercoaster of emotions that occured after his son's birth last year.

He said: "When George was born, I was so happy but also so scared. You can say that there was extreme points in my emotions, all of us. For three or four days after the explosion, we were laughing a lot and crying a lot."