Part of Beirut port silos damaged in 2020 blast collapses after weeks-long fire
Aug 01, 2022
Beirut [Lebanon], August 1 : Part of the Beirut port's grain silos, which were damaged in a 2020 blast, has collapsed after a weeks-long fire, a media report said, adding that the fire was triggered by grains that had fermented and ignited in the summer heat.
On Sunday, the northern block of the silos toppled, kicking up thick grey dust that enveloped the port next to a residential area, Al Jazeera reported.
"Everything is under control," General Director of the Beirut Port Silos Assaad Haddad, as quoted Al Jazeera, told UK media asserted minutes later, the dust subsided and calm returned.
Youssef Mallah from the Civil Defence department, however, said that other parts of the silos' northern block were at risk and that other sections of the giant ruin could collapse.
In July, a fire broke out in the northern block of the silos due to the fermenting grains which smouldered for weeks.
Last week, the environment and health ministries issued instructions to residents living near the port to stay indoors in well-ventilated spaces, as per Al Jazeera.
The fire and the dramatic sight of the smoke have partly recreated the trauma of the survivors of the explosion that tore through the port on August 4, 2020.
As per Al Jazeera, more than 200 people were killed and over 6,000 were badly injured in the 2020 blast.
Tatiana Hasrouty, who lost her father in the 2020 Beirut port blast, told Al Jazeera that she blamed politicians for the situation at the port.
"We need to know the truth. We need to know who did this to us and hold them accountable. Once we hold someone accountable for this crime, no more crimes like this will happen again," Hasrouty said.
Two big explosions rocked the Beirut port on August 4, 2020, damaging around 640 heritage buildings, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Lebanese Culture Minister Mohammad Mortada had launched a USD 13 million plan funded by the World Bank for the reconstruction and restoration of heritage buildings damaged by the Beirut blasts, according to media reports.
