MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th September, 2020) A mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has begun assistance activities in the Lebanese capital of Beirut in a bid to assess the impact of the August 4 devastating blast on the city's radiation safety, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said on Monday.
The mission was arranged at the request of Lebanon.
"Following the devastating explosion at the Port of Beirut in Lebanon, the Agency took swift action to help respond to the country's immediate needs. An IAEA assistance mission, with the involvement of experts from Member States, will provide support with radiation surveying, sampling and analysis and advise on any potential radiation hazards," Grossi said, as quoted in an IAEA press release.
The week-long mission starting today includes four experts from Denmark and France and four IAEA staff members, according to the press release. They will assess the impact of the blast on radioactive materials in Beirut hospitals, scrapyards and the port as well as train the local authorities on radiation detection using equipment, donated by the IAEA.
"Additionally, samples of food, seawater, soil and building material collected by Lebanese authorities will be analysed in laboratories in France and Switzerland," the press release added.
On August 4, the Lebanese capital was rocked by an exceptionally powerful blast which sent shock waves miles away from its epicenter in the port of Beirut. Entire districts adjacent to the port area were destroyed. The blast left 190 people killed and more than 6,000 others injured.
The Lebanese government said the blast was caused by improper storage of some 2,750 metric tons of ammonium nitrate by the port authorities.
