Efforts to extinguish Beirut port fire 'risk causing grain silos to collapse'

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  Part of the grain silos in Beirut's port collapse as Lebanon marks the second anniversary of a deadly explosion at the site. AFP

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  The silos were damaged during the blast in August 2020. AP

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  The collapse happened as people gathered at the site to mark the anniversary. AP

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  A fire at the silos blazed for weeks before the collapse. AFP

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  Some people in Lebanon believe the government wants to use the fire as an excuse to demolish the silos. AFP

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  Relatives of those killed in the port blast wanted the silos to stand as a memorial to the victims. Reuters

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  Water is dropped from a military helicopter to tackle the fire at the silos. EPA

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  Video footage shows clouds of smoke and dust spreading across the port. AP

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  It is feared that other parts of the site will also collapse. AFP

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  The fire was thought to have been sparked by the remnants of fermented grain in storage. AP

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  Lebanon's caretaker economy minister Amin Salam said the silos were at risk of collapse as the authorities struggled to contain the fire. AP

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  Fire and smoke at the silos at Beirut port. EPA

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  There were no reports of deaths or injuries after the collapse. EPA

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  In April, the Lebanese Cabinet approved the demolition of the silos. EPA

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  A survey had found that the silos were at risk of collapse. AFP

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  Rubble at the port after part of the silos collapsed. Reuters

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  The fire burns at part of the silos that remains standing. Reuters

A fire that broke out a week ago at a grain silo at Beirut’s port will continue to burn while there is wheat trapped inside, Lebanon’s caretaker economy minister has said.

But Amin Salam, during a tour of the port, said it was a “complicated situation” and that efforts to extinguish the flames risked causing the silos to collapse.

For instance, he said an operation by a military helicopter could cause the fire to spread because of a change in air pressure.

The silos were heavily damaged in the August 2020 blast at the port that killed at least 215 people and injured more than 7,000. The explosion occurred after a massive stock of ammonium nitrate, which had been sitting at the port for years, caught fire.

Authorities have blamed the blazes on the summer heat and fermenting wheat at the bottom of the silos.

“There have been fires like this before, and will continue as long as there are grains fermenting inside,” Mr Salam said.

He said the caretaker government is “studying the best way to treat the situation without resorting to haphazard decisions or demolition”.

Removing grain from the silos could mean they collapse, he added.

Authorities have banned anyone from going too close to the silos.

The silos remain a sensitive topic in Lebanon. The 2020 explosion has been blamed on mismanagement and corruption, and is viewed as a symptom of the country's many systemic problems.

In April, the Lebanese Cabinet approved the demolition of the silos, which were badly damaged in the 2020 explosion, after a survey found that they could collapse in the coming months.

But many, including families of the victims, want the silos to remain as a memorial.

Mark Daou and Najat Saliba, two opposition MPs from the Taqqadom party also toured the site on Thursday. Taqqadom said it would continue to follow up on the fire to ensure it is not used as a “pretext to demolish the ‘silent witness,’” in reference to the silos.

An investigation into the port explosion by judge Tarek Bitar has struggled to make headway amid repeated delays. Two sitting MPs in the Lebanese parliament have been charged in connection with the investigation but they have refused to attend interrogation hearings.