Residents of the neighborhoods that are adjacent to the port of the Lebanese capital of Beirut, have returned to their houses after the recent large fire that occurred in the port's depot was contained, a Sputnik correspondent reported from the scene
BEIRUT (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th September, 2020) Residents of the neighborhoods that are adjacent to the port of the Lebanese capital of Beirut, have returned to their houses after the recent large fire that occurred in the port's depot was contained, a Sputnik correspondent reported from the scene.
On Thursday, a massive fire erupted in a warehouse with oil and tires in the port's free trade zone. Later in the day, President Michel Aoun said at a meeting of the Supreme Defense Council that the fire could have occurred due to arson. No one was injured as a result of the incident.
Residents of Beirut's Gemmayzeh district, located opposite to the port, left their house on Thursday evening, fearing the repetition of the August 4 events, when the powerful explosion destroyed the majority of buildings and killed dozens of people.
Since the devastating blast in the Beirut port, owners of a number of restaurants have managed to restore their facilities and resume activities there. In the late hours of Thursday, after the Lebanese Civil Defense Command had announced the containment of the fire, some of the restaurants were opened to visitors.
Traffic in the port area has been fully restored so far. As of now, specialists work in the port and military patrols are still present in downtown Beirut.
On August 4, nearly 3,000 tons of improperly stored ammonium nitrate detonated, killing at least 190 people and injuring thousands of others. The blast triggered a shock wave that destroyed at least half of the city, as well as the grain silos that store most of Lebanon's wheat supplies.
