[ad_1]
The successive fires that followed the explosion in the port of Beirut on August 4 fueled Lebanese fears about the collapse of the state. It also generated many doubts and unleashed interpretations and interpretations in the absence of an official explanation of those events.
And in the latest episode of mysterious fires, a fire broke out in a famous building under construction in Beirut’s business district on Tuesday, the second to spread panic among residents this month after the terrible explosion in the port of the Lebanese capital. in August.
There were no reports of deaths or injuries and the fire died quickly, but it left the population in a state of exasperation in a country that is going through a serious economic crisis and hopes that its politicians will agree to form a new government.
“Something strange here is Al Haraiq in Beirut … Certainly something is not normal,” said Joe Sayegh, 48, who was jogging in the city before arriving at the scene.
Firefighting vehicles quickly put out the fire, which broke out in one of the corners of the Modernist-style building, designed by prominent British architect Zaha Hadid, who is of Iraqi origin.
The waterfront building, which has been under construction for years, became a landmark in the business district that was rebuilt after the 1975-1990 civil war.
During the reconstruction, modern skyscrapers designed by international architects broke the sky and old buildings from the Ottoman period were restored.
Hassan Diab’s government resigned after the Beirut port exploded, blaming a huge stockpile of ammonium nitrate, a fast explosive substance that had been stored unsafely for years. This month, a major fire broke out in the port, in the already destroyed warehouses.
France is pressuring Lebanon to form a new government to tackle rampant corruption in the country and implement the reforms necessary to disburse international aid, but many Lebanese are still skeptical of the Lebanese political elite’s ability to take a new course. .
Sayegh said he does not expect any change if these same elites continue to control the reins of affairs.
