Hero Aussie doctor who miraculously delivered a baby as the Beirut blast ripped through her hospital opens up on the carnage – as video shows the walls cave moments before the birth
- Stephanie Yacoub delivered baby as 2,750t of ammonium nitrate detonated
- Glass rained down and walls caved in at George Hospital, not far from blast
- Instead of panicking, Dr Yacoub leapt to aid of her patient and colleagues
Dr Stephanie Yacoub (pictured) was in the middle of a delivery at George Hospital in Beirut when a massive blast ripped through the city on August 4
An Australian doctor caught up in the carnage of the Beirut blast has revealed how she delivered a baby boy as the explosion tore apart her hospital.
Dr Stephanie Yacoub was in the middle of a delivery when more than 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate detonated at a port in the Lebanese capital on August 4.
Glass rained down and the walls caved in at the nearby George Hospital just moments before mother-to-be Emmanuelle Khnaisser was due to give birth.
Instead of panicking, Dr Yacoub leapt to the aid of her patient and her colleagues.
‘I think the first reaction was complete and utter shock. I wanted to first just make sure everyone was okay, to make sure the baby was alive and okay,’ Dr Yacoub told The Project.
Medical staff had only just wheeled the mother-to-be Emmanuelle Khnaisser into the maternity ward when the blast went off
The hospital’s Chief OBGYN was thrown to the ground, as glass rained down around her and the hospital staff
‘I looked out of the window of the shattered glass and I just saw people running in the streets covered in blood and I still had a job that I needed to perform.’
Medical staff had only just wheeled the mother-to-be into the maternity ward when the blast went off.
Her husband Edmound captured the moment on his mobile phone.
After the initial shock, Dr Yacoub composed herself and got straight back to work, using the light from her mobile phone to guide her through the delivery.
A thunderous explosion can be heard in the video as medical staff appear visibly shaken before the lights switch off and staff are thrown to the ground
Just seconds later the shockwaves tore through the medical facility and left the hospital a mess of shattered glass
‘Unfortunately we are in the Middle East so when we do have an explosion you brace yourself,’ Dr Yacoub said.
‘You have no idea where its coming from or if there is going to be another one. So we were very afraid, we had no idea what this was.’
Baby George was delivered safely thanks to the incredible efforts of the medical team.
After the initial shock Dr Yacoub composed herself and got straight back to work, using the light from her mobile phone to perform the operation
Dr Yacoub shared her experience on Facebook in the immediate aftermath of the blast, thanking her colleagues for their commitment to the cause
Her colleagues worked through their own injuries to help deliver the child, only checking on themselves after the birth.
A practical nurse at the hospital was killed despite resuscitation efforts by Dr Yacoub.
She shared her experience on Facebook in the aftermath of the blast, thanking her colleagues for their commitment.
‘From the attending physician who carried a harmed resident down to the ER, the midwives who worked through their own injuries, the pediatrics team and the residents I have the blessing to call family and those who lost their lives serving, I have nothing but the utmost respect for you,’ she wrote.
‘This experience, is surreal. I’m fine and unharmed which I find miraculous in this tragedy.
‘My first thought was to hear the baby’s heart beat and make sure that everyone was okay.’
Her colleagues worked through their own injuries to perform the operation, only pausing after it was complete to check on themselves
The voice of Dr Yacoub is then heard checking in on her patient and staff before reassuring them it will be okay
Baby born as Beirut blast rips through hospital
This is the shocking moment one woman went into labour as the blast in Beirut ripped through a hospital.
The footage was captured by Edmound Khnaisser as his wife Emmanuelle prepared to give birth to their son.
But as she was wheeled into a room on the maternity ward the explosion could be heard rumbling in the background.
In a social media post, Edmound praised the efforts of the doctors and nurses adding that: ‘My son George (pictured) was born under a catastrophic blast, I did not believe we came out alive’
Just seconds later the shockwaves tore through the medical facility and left the mother-to-be covered in shards of glass.
Thankfully she was able to give birth safely despite the hospital being without electricity and both mother and son are thought to be doing well.
In a social media post, Edmound praised the efforts of the doctors and nurses adding that: ‘My son George was born under a catastrophic blast, I did not believe we came out alive.’