Female firefighter dubbed 'Bride of Beirut' is buried in emotional funeral as her heroic colleagues who broke into doomed warehouse as blaze took hold are named
- The three hero firefighters pictured desperately trying to force their way into the doomed Beirut warehouse to put out the flames can be named by MailOnline today as Jo Noon, Methal Hawwa and Najib Hitti
- They were part of a 10-person rapid response team dispatched from the fire station in La Quarantaine, northeastern Beirut. One did not even have time to put on his uniform
- Nine of them are still missing while one female colleague, Sahar Faris, 25, who was engaged to be married nexy year, has been confirmed dead and was buried in an emotional funeral
- Firefighters were called to tackle an initial blaze in Warehouse 9 which spread, triggering cataclysmic blast
- The photographer is known to have died in the explosion while the fire crew are missing, believed to be dead
- At least 137 people died in the blast, with some 5,000 wounded, 300,000 homeless, and widespread damage
The three hero firefighters pictured desperately trying to force their way into the doomed Beirut warehouse to put out the flames can be named by MailOnline today.
Jo Noon, Methal Hawwa and Najib Hitti were part of a 10-person rapid response team. Nine of them are still missing while their female colleague, 25-year-old Sahar Faris, a paramedic specialist, has been confirmed dead. She was buried today in an emotional funeral in her hometown of Qaa.
Ms Faris, who has since been dubbed 'the bride of Beirut' on social media, was engaged to be married in June next year. Yesterday, her fiancé, Gilbert Karaan, posted a tribute saying, 'You're my life. You burned my heart'.The three firemen were photographed in an iconic picture putting their lives on the line to prevent the catastrophe. One of them, Najib Hitti, did not even have time to put on his uniform.
They had been dispatched with another colleague, thought to be Ms Faris, from the fire station in La Quarantaine, northeastern Beirut, in an emergency response vehicle and were first on the scene, fire chiefs told MailOnline.
The six other firefighters followed in a fire engine. 'As the fire service, we have the authority to open any door without the approval of any ministry or military,' a fire service official, who asked not to be named, said.
'When the smoke first started gathering, we sent a unit of 10 people. Six were in the fire engine and four in the emergency response car. The three men in the famous photograph were first on the scene trying to unlock the door to Warehouse 12.
'Following them were the colleagues in the other vehicles. The blast hit all of them. Nine are still missing and one, Sahar Faris, has been found and declared dead. Her family mourned her yesterday. Her fiancé is devastated.'
An iconic picture shows the final moments of a fire crew sent to tackle a blaze at warehouses in Beirut's port, shortly before chemicals stored inside exploded with the force of a small nuclear bomb
MailOnline can reveal that the three hero fireman pictured opening the door were Jo Noon, left, Methal Hawea, centre, and Najib Hitti, right
Ms Faris, who was one of the 10-person rapid response team, has since been dubbed 'the bride of Beirut' on social media
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