A ship carrying over 2,200 tons of ammonium sulfate named “Sky Light” was originally supposed to unload its cargo at the Port of Sidon, but was instead transferred to the Port of Beirut.
The Ministry of Agriculture’s teams were initially unwilling to take samples at sea due to a reported broken-down engine. Because of that, and the storm, the ship was dock at Pier 14 for inspection.
The general director of the port, Omar Itani, declined to enter the ship or unload its cargo.
After taking samples, the ship was forced to leave and anchored away from the port while awaiting the results of an initial inspection, which could take several days.
The 961News team confirmed the ship left Beirut Port at 6:13 pm.
The Ministry of Agriculture confirmed that the requirements for inspecting the ship’s cargo would be stringent, following the Beirut Port explosion.
Despite these precautions, the ministry reassured the public that there are no safety concerns.
The owners and traders of the ammonium sulfate are known, and the product is commonly used for agricultural purposes.
The “Sky Light” is a container ship built in 2007 and sails under the flag of Liberia. It departed from the port of Iskenderun in Turkey.
