Desk Report
Publish: 01 Aug 2022, 10:57 am
This frame grab from video shows part of the silos collapsing, in the port of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, July 31, 2022. A section of Beirut's massive port grain silos, shredded in the 2020 explosion, collapsed on Sunday after a weekslong fire triggered by grains that had fermented and ignited in the summer heat || Photo: AP
A
section of Beirut's massive port grain silos, shredded in the 2020 explosion, collapsed
in a huge cloud of dust on Sunday after a weekslong fire, triggered by grains
that had fermented and ignited in the summer heat.
The
northern block of the silos toppled after what sounded like an explosion,
kicking up thick gray dust that enveloped the iconic structure and the port
next to a residential area. It was not immediately clear if anyone was injured.
Assaad
Haddad the General Director of the Port Silo, told The Associated Press that
“everything is under control” but that the situation has not subsided yet.
Minutes later, the dust subsided and calm returned.
However,
Youssef Mallah, from the Civil Defense department, said that other parts of the
silos' northern block were at risk and that other sections of the giant ruin
could collapse.
The 50
year-old, 48 meter (157 feet) tall silos had withstood the force of the
explosion two years ago, effectively shielding the western part of Beirut from
the blast that killed over 200 people, injured more than 6,000 and badly
damaged entire neighborhoods.
In
July, a fire broke out in the northern block of the silos due to the fermenting
grains. Firefighters and Lebanese Army soldiers were unable to put it out and
it smoldered for weeks, a nasty smell spreading around. The environment and
health ministries last week issued instructions to residents living near the
port to stay indoors in well-ventilated spaces.
The
fire and the dramatic sight of the partially blackened silo revived memories
and in some cases, the trauma for the survivors of the gigantic explosion that
tore through the port on Aug. 4, 2020.
Many
rushed to close windows and return indoors after the collapse Sunday.
Rima
Zahed, whose brother died in the 2020 blast and who has been part of a
survivors' group lobbying for the preservation of the silos as a testament to
the port explosion, blamed the government for not taking action to put out the
weekslong fire.
“We
were talking about this three weeks ago, but they chose to do nothing and leave
it on fire,” she said. “This shows the state’s failure.”
When
the fermenting grains ignited earlier in July, Lebanese firefighters and army
soldiers had tried to put out the fire, but officials and experts told them to
stop, fearing the additional moisture from the water would worsen the situation.
The Interior Ministry said over a week later that the fire had spread, after
reaching some electric cables nearby.
The
silos continued smoldering for weeks as the stench of the fermented grains
seeped into nearby neighborhoods. Residents and survivors of the explosion told
the AP that seeing the smoking silos was akin to reliving their trauma of the
port blast. The environment and health ministries last week instructed
residents living near the port to stay indoors in well-ventilated spaces.
The
Lebanese Red Cross distributed K-N95 masks to those living nearby, and
officials ordered firefighters and port workers to stay away from the immediate
area near the silos.
Emmanuel
Durand, a French civil engineer who volunteered for the government-commissioned
team of experts, told the AP earlier in July that the northern block of the
silo had been slowly tilting over time but that the recent fire accelerated the
rate and caused irreversible damage to the already weakened structure. He told
the AP on Sunday that he sent warnings that other parts of the northern block
may also collapse imminently
Durand
has been monitoring the silos from thousands of miles away using data produced
by sensors he installed over a year ago, and updating a team of Lebanese
government and security officials on the developments in a WhatsApp group. He
repeatedly warned that a collapse was imminent.
Last
April, the Lebanese government decided to demolish the silos, but suspended the
decision following protests from families of the blast’s victims and survivors.
They contend that the silos may contain evidence useful for the judicial probe,
and that it should stand as a memorial for the tragic incident.
The
Beirut Port blast was one of the largest explosions in Lebanon's troubled
history. It took place less than a year after an uprising rocked Lebanon, with
hundreds of thousands protesting the country's entrenched sectarian political
parties. The blast also precipitated Lebanon's economic crisis, costing
billions of dollars in damages and destroying thousands of tons of grain.
Three-quarters of the population now lives in poverty.
The
silos, barely standing, have since become an iconic structure in the heart of
the devastated port, surrounded to this day by crushed vehicles and warehouses,
and piles of debris.
Sunday's
collapse of a part of the silos' northern section comes just days ahead of the
second anniversary of 2020 explosion.
The
Lebanese probe has revealed that senior government and security officials knew
about the dangerous material stored at the port, though no officials have been
convicted thus far. The implicated officials subsequently brought legal
challenges against the judge leading the probe, which has left the
investigation suspended since December.
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Topic : Beirut Beirut Port Silos Lebanon Middle East
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