[ad_1]
More than a month after the devastating explosion in Beirut, another fire broke out in the port of the Lebanese capital. Live footage from Lebanese television showed flames and thick clouds of black smoke on Thursday. According to the Lebanese army, a warehouse for motor oil and car tires caught fire in the free port.
The cause of the fire is unclear. Eyewitnesses reported that many people left their neighborhoods near the port. The army announced that firefighting helicopters and the fire department were in action to control the fire.
Residents are reportedly having broken windows due to panic, local TV stations reporting that employees of offices in the area have been asked to leave the area. Traffic will be diverted from the main road to the port. The head of the Lebanese Red Cross, Georges Kettaneh, said there had been no injuries, but that some people had difficulty breathing due to the clouds of smoke. There is no risk of explosion.
More than 190 people were killed and more than 6,000 injured in the August 4 explosion. Much of the port and its surroundings were completely destroyed. 300,000 people were left homeless. The disaster exacerbated the country’s economic and political crisis. The explosion is said to have been triggered by large amounts of the highly explosive chemical ammonium nitrate that had been stored in the port for years.
