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An engine and tire oil depot in the port of Beirut caught fire on Thursday, the Lebanese army said in a statement just over a month after the massive explosion that devastated the port and a residential neighborhood in the Lebanese capital.
The fire broke out in the free zone of the port, a huge column of smoke rose over the city. A military source told Reuters that the cause of the explosion was not yet known.
The Lebanese Red Cross has announced that there is no risk of explosion and that there are no injuries, although there are some people who have difficulty breathing.
The fire spread panic among the Lebanese, who were still shocked by last month’s explosion, writes AFP, cited by Agerpres.
Images broadcast on television showed firefighters trying to control the flames in the port, where grain tanks and silos exploded on August 4.
The army said helicopters had been sent to the scene to help put out the fire. Public television broadcast live images of a helicopter flying over the area with a container of water.
More than 190 people were killed in last month’s explosion and a residential neighborhood near the port was razed. The huge explosion was caused by a large quantity of ammonium nitrate, stored in unsuitable conditions in the port.
