The minister of transport and public works in the caretaker Lebanese government, Ali Hamie, has told Reuters that he fears that more parts of the silos could collapse
A Lebanese army helicopter flies over the scene where an explosion hit the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon. AP
Part of the grain silos in Lebanon’s Beirut Port collapsed on Sunday, 31 July, just days ahead of the anniversary of the 4 August explosion at the same place that killed hundreds.
A video shows a part of the silos collapsing, sending out a cloud of dust. There were no immediate reports of any casualties in the incident.
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The video led to an outpouring of anger at the Lebanese government.
Several users accused the government of living in denial and neglecting the site of the explosion.
Many users wrote that watching this footage revived their traumatic memories of 2020 port explosion.
Some stated that the government had done nothing while a portion of the silos was on fire.
A fire had broken out in the northern block of the silos weeks ago due to the summer heat igniting the fermenting grains left there since the 2020 Beirut Blast. According to an Associated Press report, officials and firefighters had been unable to put out the blaze. Lebanese officials had also warned that the silos could fall after the northern section began tilting at an accelerated rate.
The minister of transport and public works in the caretaker Lebanese government, Ali Hamie, has told Reuters that he fears that more parts of the silos could collapse.
The silos are a reminder of the 2020 Beirut Port Explosion, one of the most powerful non-nuclear blasts recorded. The blast was caused by tons of ammonium nitrate that had been stored in unsafe conditions at the port since 2013. The incident killed over 200 people, injured more than 6,000 and decimated entire neighbourhoods, leaving thousands of individuals homeless. The 48-metre tall silos stood as a shield against the explosion for the western part of Beirut.
The Lebanese government had announced in April that it would destroy the silos, angering the families of victims, who wanted to preserve the building as a reminder of the blast. Last week, their parliament failed to adopt a law that would have protected the site from demolition.
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