People in Lebanon are in distress after a massive fire erupted at the Port of Beirut on Thursday afternoon.
Many concerned citizens filmed the smoke from their cars and residence as Civil Defense members and firefighters rushed to control the fire, currently raging in the Port’s duty-free zone.
As of yet, the cause of the fire has not been determined, but the Lebanese Army said that it was burning at a warehouse containing oils and tires.
The military asked people to clear the areas surrounding the Port and to avoid using drones over it because the Army’s helicopters were set to help extinguish the fire.
Lebanese Red Cross Secretary-General Georges Katana said that the fire “broke out in quantities of scrap, is not arson, and there is nothing that could lead to an explosion.”
On his part, Governor of Beirut Marwan Abboud told LBCI that the time is too early to talk about the cause of the blaze.
He also urged people to clear the streets surrounding Beirut Port for their own safety and to facilitate the arrival of firetrucks.
This incident comes a little over a month since the deadly blast that erupted from the same port after a similar fire started in a warehouse containing ammonium nitrate. The blast killed close to 200 people and injured and displaced thousands.
Many Lebanese people, who are still traumatized by the August 4th blast, are panicking over the gravely familiar scene of a black column of smoke rising from the Port of Beirut and leaving a dark trail over the Lebanese capital.