Gas attack that shamed the world

The basement of an underground medical centre, where victims of a chemical attack in 2013 were taken, in eastern Ghouta, Syria. — Kiana Hayeri/The New York Times

IT was a hot, still summer night, just after 2am, when a volley of rockets slammed into eastern Ghouta on the outskirts of Damascus.

The blasts were small, almost like duds, rescuers recalled. But within minutes, those arriving at the scene found people choking, convulsing and foaming at the mouth.