Lebanon: huge fire in the port of Beirut, a month after the explosion

A powerful fire broke out this Thursday, September 10 in the port of Beirut.

AP Photo / Hussein Malla

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

In Lebanon, a month and a week after the double explosion in the port of Beirut which left 192 dead and more than 6,500 injured, a gigantic fire is once again underway at the port of the Lebanese capital.

He declared himself at the very beginning of the afternoon this Thursday, September 10.

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With our correspondent in Beirut,

We still do not know the origin of this fire which is ravaging the warehouses of the free zone of the port, a sector hard hit by

The flames broke out in a shed where tires or engine oils, highly flammable materials, are stored.

Within minutes, the fire spread to other warehouses causing a wave of panic among the workers.

Still traumatized by the double explosion of

the employees left the premises running in all directions.

Same spectacle in the streets around the port where motorists turned around in great disorder to get away from the scene at the sight of the gigantic flames while a thick cloud of black smoke enveloped part of Beirut.

►Also read: Lebanon, a country on its knees

The Lebanese army asked the workers to evacuate the port and the residents not to approach the perimeter of the fire.

Civil defense, firefighters and army helicopters are at work to try to bring the disaster under control.

At least one person suffering from asphyxiation has been treated by the Red Cross.

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