Minister of Public Works and Transport Ali Hamieh, alongside Ministers of Economy and Trade Ammar Salam and Environment Nasser Yassein, held an emergency meeting at the Ministry of Public Works to discuss the necessary actions following the complete collapse of the northern part of the Beirut Port granaries.
After the meeting, Hamieh stated, "Our meeting comes after the complete collapse of the northern section of the Beirut Port granaries, aimed at coordinating with the Ministries of Economy and Environment to remove the debris from the port's ground."
He continued, "I received a letter from the caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati directed to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport requesting appropriate measures regarding the granaries," pointing out that "the report differentiated between the northern and southern sections. While the northern section, according to the report, was bending rapidly, it did not deny the existence of bending in the southern section as well. Furthermore, the company 'Khatib and Alami' did not confirm that the existing silos are detached from the foundations underground. I believe that with the collapse of the northern section, all the load is now on the southern section. Consequently, we will send a letter to 'Khatib and Alami,' the firm approved by the Council of Ministers, to investigate the stumps above and below ground — are they truly detached from the foundations? Did the foundation separate from the silos? This is all critical because the main concern for the ministry is the safety of people and preserving lives before anything else, and then we will act accordingly." He added, "After that, we will send a comprehensive report to Mikati regarding the findings of 'Khatib and Alami,' noting that a Cabinet decision was made in April 2022 to establish a memorial there."
Salam, for his part, stated that "the priority is public safety, and none of us is willing to take any risks with any decision or action that could impact people's lives. Once 'Khatib and Alami' issues its decision, we will decide whether to reinforce or give the possibility of reinforcement. There are still 3,000 tons of grain in the existing southern section that must be removed because work cannot proceed with their presence; this process is complex from an engineering, environmental, and technical perspective. Our top priority today is to receive the report that will assess the situation because the data has changed significantly between today and yesterday, and the occurrence of this incident will have repercussions reflected in the awaited report."
Yassein observed that "the focus will be on removing the existing debris and handling the grains, but initially, there will be an assessment of the environmental reality. We have conducted an assessment of the air quality in collaboration with the army and the American University Laboratory, and thus there will be a complete evaluation of the existing debris and cooling methods, as the heat inside the collapsed site is very high." He noted that there are other steps for debris removal, and they are cooperating on this matter with international institutions, including the World Bank, UNDP, and UN Habitat.
He added, "Public safety is a priority for us, and we must monitor all matters after assessing the public safety situation because the proximity of workers and engineers to this site could pose a risk to them. Coordination is ongoing with the Civil Defense regarding this." He considered that "the results of today's air quality tests have not yet been released, and previous tests following the silos' collapse confirmed the presence of fungi in the granary area. Therefore, we will carry out a thorough environmental assessment to ensure public safety."
