After officials predicted the collapse of parts of the silos at the Port of Beirut, the northern silos succumbed on Tuesday morning, collapsing amid rising smoke and dust. Reports indicate that strong winds helped quickly disperse the dust from the collapse away from nearby residential areas.
Environment Minister in the caretaker government, Nasser Yassine, explained in a statement to LBCI that "the dust caused by the collapse of the port silos has fortunately moved toward the sea." He added, "The ministry advises everyone near the port to wear masks to protect against the potential spread of fungi." He mentioned that "air testing will be conducted shortly by the army's Weapons of Mass Destruction Prevention Unit and the environmental laboratories at the American University, and our steps now involve removing the rubble after this collapse and addressing the debris and grains to prevent fire hazards. The Civil Defense can now approach and contain the fire."
He pointed out that "the plan is to reinforce the southern section that is still standing after consulting engineers, conducting technical studies, and determining the financial costs."
