The head of the caretaker government, PM Najib Mikati, followed up on the situation of the silos in the port of Beirut in light of the continuous cracks and frequent fires that are occurring in the Beirut Port Silos.
Cross-reports prepared by the Ministries of Interior, Economy, Public Works, and Environment, through monitoring devices, indicated a high risk of falling parts of the northern side of the silos.
Mikati instructed the concerned agencies to permanently monitor the silos and asked the workers and members of the civil defense not to approach the place for their safety and not to endanger their lives.
The concerned ministers stated that the grains located on the eastern side of the silos that have not been treated due to the danger of reaching them are estimated at 3000 tons, of which 800 tons have recently started spontaneous combustion as a result of climatic factors.
They said that the grain temperature is exceeding 95 degrees Celsius as a result of fermentation, noting that the resulting emissions do not pose any danger to public health.
Experts estimate that the fires will be extinguished as soon as the quantity ends. They warn against using water to extinguish them, as it aggravates the situation and increases the fermentation and burning processes.
The Minister of Interior also mentioned, in his report, that the fire that occurred on July 21st, 2022 was caused by the spread of fire to the electrical cables located on the outskirts of the silos.
The Civil Defense and Beirut Fire Brigade members rushed to work on taming the fire and managed to complete the first stage of extinguishment.
Related: MP Paula Yacoubian Proposed Accelerated Law To Designate Beirut Silos As A Landmark.
