Beirut port resumes partial operations after blast

BEIRUT

Beirut port on Wednesday resumed partial operations to secure goods for local markets.

The move comes a week after last Tuesday's massive explosion at the port that left at least 171 people dead.

"There are 12 cranes out of 16 operating at Beirut port," caretaker Economy Minister Raoul Nehme tweeted.

According to the minister, the port is now operating to unload vessels for merchants.

“The flour stocks of the mills in Lebanon are 32,000 tons, in addition to 110,000 tons that will arrive within two weeks,” Nehme said, going on to assert that the amount was sufficient for four months.

The powerful explosion shook the Lebanese capital and its environs after 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse caught fire.

The shockwave flattened nearby buildings, and caused extensive material damage in Beirut, leaving hundreds of thousands of people homeless.

It came at a time when Lebanon was dealing with a severe financial crisis, along with the coronavirus pandemic.


*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat