Published 15:57 IST, September 16th 2020
Italy: Explosions and massive fire at coastal city of Ancona; no casualties yet
Blasts and enormous fire tore near the port area of the Italian city of Ancona on early Wednesday, September 16 wrecking stockrooms and lorries, as per reports.
Blasts and enormous fire tore near the port area of the Italian city of Ancona on early Wednesday, September 16 wrecking stockrooms and lorries. The firefighters reportedly said that there were no casualties reported from the disastrous explosion. The flares resulted in huge mushroom billows of smoke engulfing the Italian coast city.
The fire department wrote on Twitter, "#Ancona, large #fire broke out at 00:30 in the port area, affected several shipbuilding sheds. At work 16 teams #vigilidelfuoco also coming from the commands of the Marche. Employees for the extinction of airport vehicles # 16 September 6:30"
Council orders temporary shutdown
Local media reports claim that the warehouses situated in the area were likely to have stored flammable liquid. It also added that a company was stationed nearby the port that produced liquid nitrogen. In addition, the area also has a power station and methane plant.
According to the reports, the smell of burning filled the port city of Ancona, the capital of the Marche region. In the wake of this situation, the council of the region has ordered to temporarily shut all schools, colleges, the parks, open-air sports facilities.
Earlier, Lebanon's capital Beirut was struck by massive explosions on August 4 killing nearly 200 people and injuring thousands of others. According to reports, the explosion was caused by 2,700 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, equivalent to 1.2 kt of TNT, that was unsafely stored at Beirut port since 2014 and was purportedly triggered by an intense fire nearby the warehouse. The blast that left nearly 3,00,000 people homeless is said to be among the most powerful non-nuclear explosions in recorded history.
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. 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.
Updated 15:57 IST, September 16th 2020