On August 4 2020, a massive amount of ammonium nitrate stored at the port of Beirut exploded. More than 200 people were killed, 7,500 injured, and large swathes of the city were destroyed.

Across the city, Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Lorenzo Tugnoli was home in his apartment when the shockwave hit. He grabbed his camera headed towards the port. Amid the chaos, he captured one of the defining shots of the story: a shellshocked port worker named Ali.

But for a photographer who has worked in Afghanistan, Lybia, and Yemen, what happened next surprised him.

Lorenzo's incredible photography can be found on his website — www.lorenzotugnoli.com. 

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