Part of the huge grain silos in the port of Beirut, shredded by the 2020 explosion, collapsed late Sunday afternoon amid a huge cloud of dust, local press reports.
The north block of the silos caved in after what looked like an explosion.
The 48-meter-high, 50-year-old giant silos withstood the force of the August 4, 2020 explosion, effectively protecting the western part of Beirut from a double blast that killed more than 200 people, injured more another 6,000 and severely damaged entire neighborhoods.
The authorities had warned for several days against a partial collapse of these large wheat reservoirs. Safety instructions have been sent to residents of surrounding neighborhoods, such as wearing a surgical mask or closing windows. The army had on Friday evacuated the inhabitants of the area directly adjacent to the port.
In July, a fire broke out in the north block of silos due to grain fermentation. Firefighters and Lebanese army soldiers failed to put out the fire which continued to smolder for weeks, releasing odors into nearby towns.
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