Terrifying Videos Show Another Massive Fire in Beirut Port

A huge fire broke out in Beirut port on Thursday morning, panicking residents who are still trying to recover from the huge explosion that decimated large parts of the city just a month ago.

Plumes of black smoke were seen rising from a warehouse in the port area, which was all but flattened by the explosion on Aug. 4, when nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate detonated.

Officials from the Lebanese Army said the fire broke out at a facility that stores tires and oil.  Though there was no clear indication of how the fire began, local media is reporting that welding work in the warehouse caused the fire.

The army said its helicopters are helping local firefighters combat the blaze, but local media are saying the fire is not under control.

Fire officials said they do not suspect the presence of any explosive material but are unable to completely rule it out.

Videos posted on social media show workers in the port fleeing the area. Police have closed off major roads into the port while companies with employees in the area have told them to leave immediately.

Beirut resident Imad Bazzi, who is posting videos of the fire from the scene, said: “It is becoming harder and harder to breathe. It is literally raining ashes.”

Almost 200 people were killed and many more wounded in last month’s massive explosion, when 2,750 tonnes of confiscated ammonium nitrate that were stored in a port warehouse for almost seven years exploded, triggering a shockwave explosion that blasted windows, doors, and walls up to miles away.

Cover: Fire burns in the port in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, Sept. 10. 2020. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)