A section of the huge grain silos at the port of Beirut, crushed by the 2020 explosion in the Lebanese capital, collapsed on Sunday after a weeks-long fire caused by grains that had fermented and ignited in the summer heat.
The northern block of silos collapsed in a huge cloud of dust after what appeared to be an explosion. It was not immediately known if anyone was injured.
The 50-year-old silos, which once had a capacity of more than 100,000 tons and are 48 meters (158 feet) high, withstood the force of the blast two years ago, protecting the western part of Beirut of the explosion that killed more than 200 people, injured more than 7,000 and badly damaged entire neighborhoods.
In July there was a fire in the north block of the silos due to the fermentation of the grains. Firefighters and soldiers were unable to put out the fire, which continued to burn for weeks, and the smell spread to nearby towns. The environment and health ministries last week instructed people living near the port to stay indoors in well-ventilated spaces.
Emmanuel Durand, a French civil engineer who volunteered for a team of experts commissioned by the government, told the Associated Press that the north block of the silo had been overturned since the day of the explosion of 2020, but the fire has weakened its fragile structure and accelerated. its collapse.
Sign up for First Edition, our free daily newsletter, every weekday morning at 7am
The government ordered the demolition of the silos in April over safety concerns, but the move has since been suspended amid objections, including from relatives of blast victims who want the silos preserved as a memorial site.
The Lebanese investigation into the blast has faced systemic and blatant political obstruction from day one.