Thu 10 September 2020:
A fire has broken out in one of the few warehouses still standing in Beirut’s port, just over a month after a massive explosion originating from the port devastated the city.
Today’s fire, which comes only two days after a smaller blaze broke out and was later extinguished in the port, has created a plume of smoke over the capital, turning the sky an ominous dark grey.
Videos circulating on social media show roaring orange flames engulfing one of the port’s warehouses as workers flee the scene. Firefighters were also filmed arriving at port and are reportedly tackling the blaze.
The Lebanese army said the warehouse in question contained engine oil and car tyres and that military helicopters had been deployed to help fight the fire.
The Governor of Beirut Marwan Abboud has called for residents to stay off the roads around the port to allow emergency services to get to the scene.
The cause of the fire, which is reminiscent of the blaze which broke out minutes before the 4 August explosion, was not immediately clear.
Last month’s blast, which happened when 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate ignited and exploded, killed nearly 200 and injured thousands more.
The new blaze comes a week after the Lebanese army announced it had unearthed 4.35 tonnes of ammonium nitrate near the entrance to the port.
Meanwhile, earlier last month, French and Italian chemical experts discovered at least 20 containers holding dangerous and potentially explosive substances in Beirut, at least one of which was leaking.
Yesterday, in a controlled environment, security services set blast remains on fire cause panic in the local area as Lebanese feared another catastrophe was ensuing.
