Beirut: A massive silo holding thousands of tons of grain at the port of Beirut is in danger of collapsing due to a fire that has been smoldering for weeks amid the heat of Lebanon.
Flames and thick black smoke could be seen rising from the silos since the fire broke out on Friday.
The fire prompted a warning by Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati to “workers and members of the Civil Defense and the fire brigade not to rush to the location for their own safety and to avoid risking their lives.”
Recent high temperatures are believed to have caused wheat in silos – one of two large structures that suffered a deadly explosion at the port of Beirut two years ago – to burn thousands of tons of grain.
Reports from the ministries of the interior, economy, public works and environment warned that “the left side of the silo could be at risk of collapse.”
Threats to silos are causing a growing concern among port staff and facility management.
Smoke and flames at the site also revive the painful memory of the deadly explosion that rocked the port on August 4, 2020.
Acting Home Minister Bassam Mawlawi has asked the fire department and civil defense to begin “cooling” the wheat warehouses immediately.
While Lebanese watch helplessly as wheat stored in silos burn, mills and bakeries across the country are grappling with acute shortages of the subsidized flour used to make Lebanese pita bread.
Acting Economy Minister Amin Salam said 50,000 tonnes of wheat would reach Lebanon in the coming 10 days, ensuring six weeks’ supply.
According to a bakery owners’ syndicate, seven out of 11 mills have shut down because they lack subsidized wheat.
The presence of more than 500,000 tourists in Lebanon is putting pressure on the supply of bread.
Meanwhile, the silo fire has again created tension between the families of port blast victims and government bodies.
Last April, government agencies recommended that the silos be demolished because of the risk to structures in the surrounding area.
However, according to the Order of Engineers, families and activists rejected the demolition, saying it would destroy “one of the main sites of the largest eruption seen by Lebanon”.
It said, the silos “stand as a witness to a crime that has affected all.”
The Order of Engineers has called for work to “strengthen the affected silos”.
Experts say the fire will eventually be extinguished, but warn against using water to fight the fire, saying it could speed up the fermentation process.
Political, security, judicial and military officials keep blaming each other for the port blast.
The judicial investigation into the crime was suspended last November due to political interference and lawsuits filed against Judge Tarek Bitter, who was leading the investigation.
Respondents, including former MPs and ministers, are demanding Bitter’s removal from the case.
In a briefing submitted to the Security Council on Thursday, the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Joanna Wronecka, highlighted the “absence of progress in judicial measures relating to the Beirut port blast case, which further saddens the families of the dead and wounded.” Is. “
Vronecka demanded that “obstacles obstructing the judicial course be removed, and a comprehensive and transparent investigation into the matter.”