Shock provoked by the fires that broke out earlier this month in wheat silos in Beirut port While the Lebanese are preparing to receive the painful anniversary of the port explosion on August 4, 2020, an accident that claimed the lives of more than 200 people, due to the burning of a large stock of ammonium nitrate fertilizer that was stored in the port. The sights of flames and the smell of smoke brought back painful memories, especially for the families of the victims.
Since days, firefighters have been fighting the fire that broke out due to the fermentation of grain stocks and the high temperature in Mashhad that has healed wounds that have not yet healed. Wheat silos, threatened to collapse at any moment, have been transformed into blazing furnaces that can be seen from miles away.
“When we see it, we remember the tragedy,” says Kian Talis, who lost his brother in the harbor explosion. “This is a very disturbing sight and there is a feeling of pain.”
Authorities in Beirut said that in the short term, the fires would not exacerbate the risk of silos collapse.
Outgoing Economy Minister Amin Salam said, “Attempting to put out fires by land, sea or air may cause silos to collapse more than the fires themselves.”
He added that the government “is studying the best way to handle the situation without making random decisions.”
Fires extinguish themselves
“The fires did not generate temperatures high enough to damage the structures and did not emit toxic vapor,” said Asaad Haddad, general manager of the grain silos.
Meanwhile, Senior Adviser to the Minister of Environment, Muhammad Abyad, said, “The fires will extinguish themselves when the grain stocks run out.”
The Lebanese government had in April ordered the silos to be demolished, but the move was put on hold for several reasons, including that victims’ relatives would like to preserve it as a memorial site.
