• Analysis: The Five Crises in Lebanon

A fire at

a motor oil and tire warehouse

in the port of Beirut on Thursday revived the panic caused by the explosions that devastated the capital just over a month ago.

The flames originated in the free zone after noon, with no casualties to mourn for now.

According to the Lebanese army,

the causes of the fire are not yet clear

.

"A fire broke out in a warehouse for car oils and tires in the 'duty free' area of ​​the port of Beirut," the military establishment confirmed on its Twitter account.

The head of the Lebanese Red Cross, George Kettaneh, has assured that there is no fear that the fire will cause a new explosion and that there are no injuries, although there are some people who suffer minor consequences from smoke inhalation.

Firefighting teams and helicopters act in the extinction work and have managed to

perimeter the fire

, whose orange flames and columns of smoke rose above the city.

The fire "started in the oil drums, before spreading to the tires," the acting director of the port, Bassem al-Kaisi, told a local channel.

"Perhaps it is due to the heat, perhaps to a mistake, although it is too early to tell," he ventured.

A military source has assured the Efe agency that in reality it is necessary to speak "of two fires, separated one from the other", in a tire warehouse and in a textile warehouse, and has affirmed that according to his first indications, the fire " it is not due to natural causes. "

The images of Beirut engulfed in flames again have revived panic among the Lebanese, who have not yet recovered from the

two simultaneous explosions that destroyed much of the capital, causing 191 deaths and more than 6,000 wounded and leaving 300,000 people homeless.

r.

Then, a fire in a warehouse where 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate were stacked caused two violent detonations.

The tragedy added to the deep economic crisis that the country has suffered for months, the worst since the civil war (1975-1990) and deepened the distrust of citizens towards their leaders.

"Of course we are scared, it has only been a month since the explosion that destroyed Beirut. We have seen the same thing happen again," Andre Muarbes, a 53-year-old from Beirut, told Reuters.

Trauma and recovery

The tragedy of August 4 has left Lebanese society traumatized

, so the fire on Thursday has deepened the wound.

Recovering psychologically from those terrible moments is one of the pending issues in a society that has always shown admirable resilience, but that today has serious problems to solve in the midst of financial debacle and political paralysis.

"An important element is mental health, both for the victims of the tragedy and for the emergency teams and health workers on the front line. This is a great challenge because there is no access to this type of treatment in public health or in the In the private sector, specialists are minimal in Lebanon. There is a big gap ", points out to EL MUNDO.es

Aria Danika, deputy director of mission of Doctors Without Borders in Lebanon

.

The capital's health system, greatly weakened by the economic crisis and the second wave of the coronavirus, was on the verge of collapse after the explosions.

At least 15 health centers in Beirut, including three large hospitals, suffered damage

that makes it impossible to provide health services to the affected population.

Entire containers with anti-coronavirus protective material and medicines were destroyed by the deflagrations.

The port of Beirut has since been reduced to rubble, but this Thursday is the second fire to be regretted since the explosions a month ago.

Two days ago, firefighters extinguished a fire that originated in the rubble mixed with garbage, wood and tires, according to Efe, citing a statement from the Lebanese army.

The Attorney General's Office has ordered an "immediate" investigation

to find the causes of this new incident, stating that responses must be given "as soon as possible" due to the "seriousness of the situation."

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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