Charbel Abdo Matta

Charbel was born in Zouk Mikael. Very young, he had to deal with the loss of his mother who died of Cancer when he was seven.

He went to Collège Saint Michel – Zouk Mikael, and after his graduation, he enrolled in Arab Open University to major in Telecommunications Engineering.

­He worked as a municipality officer to cover his tuition fees. Meanwhile, he applied for state security, succeeded, and joined the agency. After his appointment, Charbel moved from one place to another, until he was finally transferred to Port of Beirut, two months before the catastrophic explosion.

Charbel prioritized sports and training, whether in the gym or outside, it was a hobby he never gave up on.

He was as ambitious as any young man his age: he wanted to complete his university requirements to advance on the job front. He was a Private, and was going to be promoted to Corporal… Instead, he was further promoted, as he sacrificed himself for his country.

It was his sense of duty that led him to his death, the duty to stay and face the danger. Charbel, the brave hero, saved many of his friends and coworkers and broke his hand. Yet, he wouldn't run away even if he could.

On August 4, he was not initially on duty. But it was probably fate that made him switch shifts with his coworker.

After the explosion, his aunt tried to call him but there was no answer. Contradicting news spread like fire, some reported the explosion was in Beit al Wassat, while others confirmed it was fireworks in the Port of Beirut. Charbel's aunt felt even more anxious, and insisted her brother should go to the Port to check on his son. Both her and his father arrived onsite, but were denied entry. She contacted the major responsible for Charbel, and he told them he's had minor injuries, easing the brutality of the news. However, patience in such cases is mostly agonizing. His aunt and family split in teams to look for him in hospitals across Lebanon. They kept searching until 3:00 AM, but he was nowhere to be found.

The next day, the family received a call saying Charbel is at Rafic Hariri University Hospital. They'd hoped to find him alive, but instead they received his dead body from the morgue.

Charbel's autopsy revealed ha heart failure, a brain hemorrhage, and a broken arm.

He sacrificed his life for this country. He honored the land that buried his body.