Beirut fire: Lebanese President Michel Aoun suspects foul play, demands accountable probe

In little over a month since the Beirut blast, the Lebanese capital witnessed a second catastrophe on Thursday, September 10 as a massive fire broke out in its port area. A large column of black smoke mushroomed over again Beruit sky a month after the deadly explosion that killed nearly 200 people.

In a comment following the recent Beirut fire, Lebanese President Michel Aoun is reported to have said that the fire could have been the result of technical error, negligence or even "sabotage". The Lebanese leader also added that the origin and cause of the fire must be discovered as soon as possible and those responsible, be it accident or sabotage, must be held accountable.

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Dark smoke eclipses Beirut

Dark smoke covered the Beirut port which saw a massive explosion last month when about 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate stored at the site blew up sending shock waves across the city. The explosion, which has been termed by experts as the strongest non-nuclear blast in history, was felt as far as Cyprus. The large plume of black smoke from the port sent the cities’ already traumatised citizens in a panic.

As per reports, the immediate reaction of the citizens was to stop what they were doing and immediately rush home, while others fearing another blast immediately took shelter anywhere they could. The Lebanese Army has stated that the fire originated at the port’s duty-free zone which contained tires, oil and other flammable materials. Authorities have closed down major roads leading to the port and have since begun re-routing traffic.

Beirut residents' panic was compounded by the fear that there may be other harmful chemicals near the vicinity of the fire that could cause yet another devasting explosion. Earlier during salvage operations, French and Italian chemical experts stated locating 120 containers with harmful chemicals; the Lebanese army later stated that the containers had been moved away from the port and stored safely.

(With Agency Inputs)

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