Phrase "were being opened"

[Klpno]

Hi everyone.
I'd like to ask a question about a phrase that seems a little strange to me.

Soon, they came upon a barracks house. The door to the barracks was open, and several familiar-looking faces from the run were entering. Vega ran in to see two rows of five bunk beds, two footlockers at the front of each bunk. Several of those footlockers were being opened.

Why 'were being opened', not 'were open'? Does it mean that Vega saw some persons open the footlockers?

[Conchita]

Yes, you got it right.

Note that the plural of 'person' is usually 'people'.

[Klpno]

Thank you very much, Conchita.