Beirut: Months after explosion, large blaze erupts in port area
After one month of a massive explosion, a huge fire has erupted in the port of the Lebanese capital Beirut.
The blaze broke out in an oil and tyre warehouse in the port's duty-free zone. Officials said that it appeared to be contained to one place.
Smoke could be seen billowing out over the city's skyline.
It was not immediately clear what caused the fire. No casualties have been reported so far.
Firefighters are at the scene, and the military said its helicopters were being used in efforts to extinguish the blaze.
The head of Lebanon's Red Cross, George Kettaneh, said that some people were suffering from shortness of breath as a result of the fire, but there were no reports of injuries.
Mr. Kettaneh also said that there was no fear of an explosion as a result of the fire.
However, some residents are still traumatized by last month's explosion so they drove out of the city.
The blast last month happened when 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate detonated.
There has been news that so much hazardous material was stored unsafely in a warehouse in the city's port, close to many residential areas and hence that explosion occurred.
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In addition to the fatalities, thousands were injured and as many as 300,000 were left homeless by the last explosion.
-PTC News
