Beirut hospital staff, patients on impact of blast

CCTV footage capturing the moment the blast in Beirut Port hit the St. George University Medical Center shows the shockwave destroying the hospital.

The footage shows the explosion shattering windows and ripping doors from their frames in the hospital wards.

Professor Georges Juvelekian was in his clinic at the time of the blast - he'd just finished a consultation. Juvelekian said had his colleague not rescued him he could have bled to death.

"We should be proud of what we've done. What this hospital did in eight hours evacuating over 300 patients to safety despite the lack of power and glass everywhere and unsafe environment and lack of resources is a miracle by itself and speaks to the greatness of these people," he said.

Nurse Pamela Zeinoun was also working that day. She was in the neonatal intensive care unit, treating premature babies.

Zeinoun rescued three babies from the rubble and carried them five kilometres to another hospital.

The hospital said four of its nurses died in the blast, as well as 12 patients and visitors.

The hospital, which now remains largely damaged and empty, evacuated more than 230 patients to other hospitals on the day of the explosion.