Egypt and Iraq take action to remove dangerous goods after Beirut blast

Both countries have started assessing the stocks at ports and clearing dangerous chemicals

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  A helicopter puts out a fire at the scene of the explosion at the port of Lebanon's capital Beirut on August 4, 2020. AFP

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  Smoke billows from an area of a large explosion that rocked the harbour area of Beirut, Lebanon. EPA

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  The aftermath of blast in Beirut. Sunniva Rose / The National

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  The scene of the explosion that rocked Beirut. AFP

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  The harbour area with smoke billowing from an area of the explosion, Beirut, Lebanon. EPA

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  A man reacts at the scene of an explosion at the port in Lebanon's capital Beirut. AFP

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  The scene of the explosion at the port in Beirut. AFP

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  The scene of the explosion at the port in Beirut. AFP

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  The scene of the explosion in Beirut. AFP

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  People gather near the scene of the explosion in Beirut. AFP

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  The scene of the blast in Beirut. AFP

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  The scene of the explosion in Beirut. AFP

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  A wounded man is checked by a fireman near the scene of the explosion in Beirut. AFP

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  A resident stands in the street by a destroyed car, following the explosion near by at the port of Beirut. Bloomberg

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  Lebanese Red Cross officers carry an injured woman following an explosion at the port of Beirut on August 4, 2020. AFP

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  Smoke rises after the explosion was heard in Beirut. Reuters

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  Firefighters spray water at a blaze after the explosion in Beirut. Reuters

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  People walk at scene of the explosion in Beirut. AFP

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  The blast at Beirut port. Twitter/ @borzou

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  Army personnel around entrance to port.

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  The aftermath of the blast in Beirut. Sunniva Rose / The National

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  The aftermath of the blast in Beirut. Sunniva Rose / The National

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  The aftermath of the blast in Beirut. Sunniva Rose / The National

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  The aftermath of blast in Beirut. Sunniva Rose / The National

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  Sailors leave their damaged ship near the explosion in Beirut. AP Photo

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  A vehicle stands damaged on a road following a large explosion at the port area of Beirut. Bloomberg

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  Firefighters try to extinguish flames after a large explosion rocked the harbour area of Beirut. EPA

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  People and journalists gather at the scene of an explosion at the port of Lebanon's capital Beirut. AFP

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  An injured man sits outside American University of Beirut medical centre on August 5, 2020. Reuters

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  Men stand before wrecked buildings near the port. Getty Images

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  A man walks by an overturned car and destroyed buildings. Getty Images

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  Lebanese soldiers stand outside American University of Beirut medical centre. Reuters

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  Injured people stand after the explosion. AP Photo

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  People gather by cars destroyed following an explosion at the port of Lebanon's capital Beirut. AFP

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  Wounded people wait to receive treatment outside a hospital following an explosion near the Beirut port. AFP

Egypt and Iraq are taking action to clear dangerous chemicals being stored at ports after a massive explosion in Beirut's port this month.

Egyptian Finance Minister Mohamed Mait told parliament that new Customs procedures were being put in place to prevent the storage or abandonment of dangerous or explosive materials.

"What happened in Beirut made us examine our own situation and we actually got rid of large quantities of abandoned and neglected and dangerous materials that were in the ports," Mr Mait said on Sunday.

"There are materials that have been delivered to multiple ministries including oil and defence and interior, and by next December, Egyptian ports will be completely cleaned."

A few days after the Beirut explosion on August 4, Egypt's civil aviation ministry said it had ordered a review of materials at airports and the transfer of any hazardous goods to safe storage.

The blast in Beirut, caused by the detonation of more than 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored at its port, killed more than 171 people and wreaked destruction across the Lebanese capital.

Iraq too is taking action.

The Customs authority said a study of major facilities had located 513 containers holding dangerous materials left at the docks of Umm Qasr port 550 kilometres south of Baghdad.

Customs Director General Khaled Salah said that since the Beirut blast they had studied 6,431 containers and identified 513 that posed a risk. He said that 20 containers belonging to the ministries of electricity and oil had been immediately removed because they contained explosives or dangerous dual-use items.

Mr Salah also called on the owners and authorities at the port to remove the rest immediately to “avoid possible accidents in the ports due to their accumulation in conditions contrary to safety, health, quality and international standards".