Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Tuesday, Jul 15, 2025

Part of Beirut silo complex collapses as port blast anniversary nears

Part of Beirut silo complex collapses as port blast anniversary nears

What was expected, happened. On Sunday afternoon, the most fragile part of the wheat granaries in the port of Beirut, badly damaged two years ago as a result of the huge explosion, collapsed.
It was fortunate that, when the two silos fell on the northern side during a holiday weekend, it came several days after the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Environment had taken precautionary measures to avoid any possible human or further material damage.

The scene of the collapse of the two silos, and the brown dust cloud that rose following it, recreated the scene of the explosion of Aug. 4, 2020, and concerns spread among residents in the vicinity of the port that the cloud might reach them. There have been warnings that this dust contains black mould and other fungi after tons of grain stored in there decayed due to the humidity and heat.

Efforts to empty and clear the silos earlier had proved difficult due to huge structural damage in the walls and foundations.

The MoH had asked people at the moment of the collapse to wear high-quality masks and for those living within 1,500 meters to close all doors and windows.

Monitors and sensors, developed by a French technical team around the silos, detected changes in the silos’ bending speed, which reached more than 5 mm per hour two days ago.

Army helicopters quickly sprayed water over the collapse site to prevent the dust cloud from expanding further.

Environment Minister Nasser Yassin told Arab News: “The southern parts of the silos are good so far. As for the north sections, a number of silos collapsed, and there is a possibility that more will fall, and the sensors placed indicate more bends, and we are closely following the situation."

Deputy Najat Saliba, a professor of analytical chemistry and an atmospheric chemist at the American University of Beirut, said: “The readiness on the ground was clear, the dust was removed quickly, and there is no (further) need to wear masks.”

The families of the victims of the Beirut port explosion had demanded the facilities not be destroyed, which authorities had decided to do last May, in order to keep the scene as a “silent witness to the crime committed against the people.”

The true series of events, and responsibility for the tragedy, has not yet been established, with political pressure, finger-pointing and delaying tactics obstructing the judicial investigation.

Yassin suggested that “the southern part of the wheat granaries that are still standing will be preserved as a memorial,” and stressed that “there should be demolition of some of the parts that are in danger of falling.”

The presence of the wheat granaries protected the southern part of Beirut from the devastating explosion that destroyed the city’s waterfront, killing 232 victims and wounding thousands.

Activist William Noun, a spokesman for the victims of the port, said: “After the fall of the cracked sections, we call on people to go down on Aug. 4 to the vicinity of the port to commemorate the second anniversary.

“What matters to us is that the impact of this crime perpetrated by the state remains.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
×