Firefighters Douse Remains of Huge Beirut Port Fire

Smoke rises over Beirut's port area as seen from Sin-el-fil, Lebanon September 10, 2020. REUTERS/Cynthia Karam
Smoke rises over Beirut's port area as seen from Sin-el-fil, Lebanon September 10, 2020. REUTERS/Cynthia Karam
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Firefighters Douse Remains of Huge Beirut Port Fire

Smoke rises over Beirut's port area as seen from Sin-el-fil, Lebanon September 10, 2020. REUTERS/Cynthia Karam
Smoke rises over Beirut's port area as seen from Sin-el-fil, Lebanon September 10, 2020. REUTERS/Cynthia Karam

Lebanese firefighters and army helicopters on Friday put out the remains of a huge fire at Beirut Port that angered citizens who remain in shock a month after a massive blast devastated the port and the surrounding area.

Thursday's fire, which officials said was sparked by welding during repair work after last month's port explosion, covered several districts of Beirut in a huge cloud of black, acrid smoke, causing panic in a city still on edge after the massive Aug. 4 blast.

Interim port chief Bassem al-Kaissi told a local TV station that the fire "started with oil containers before moving on to tires.”

The civil defense said in a statement that firefighters had extinguished the flames on Friday morning after working through the night, and were cooling the site to avoid it flaring up again.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun said at a meeting of the Supreme Defense Council held at Baabda Palace on Thursday night that the fire could have been caused by sabotage, technical error or negligence. He called for a swift investigation.

Thursday's blaze comes just two days after another smaller fire at the port, which the army said took hold of a mix of rubbish, wood and old tires.

Many Lebanese are frustrated that they have yet to be told about any initial findings from an investigation into last month's explosion that killed about 190 people and injured 6,000, and ravaged tens of thousands of homes.

On Thursday, the lead investigating judge listened to the testimonies of caretaker transport and public works minister Michel Najjar and State Security agency head Tony Saliba, the National News Agency said.

The authorities have so far arrested 25 suspects.

Lebanon has rejected an international investigation into the explosion, but its probe is being aided by foreign experts, including from the American FBI and France.

The government resigned after the port blast, and Prime Minister-designate Mustapha Adib is racing to form a new cabinet by early next week to meet a two-week deadline agreed under French pressure.



Two Million Syrians Returned Home Since Assad's Fall, Says UN

Syrian migrants wait at the Cilvegozu border gate to cross into Syria, after Syrian rebels announced that they ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in the Turkish town of Reyhanli in Hatay province, Türkiye, - Reuters
Syrian migrants wait at the Cilvegozu border gate to cross into Syria, after Syrian rebels announced that they ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in the Turkish town of Reyhanli in Hatay province, Türkiye, - Reuters
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Two Million Syrians Returned Home Since Assad's Fall, Says UN

Syrian migrants wait at the Cilvegozu border gate to cross into Syria, after Syrian rebels announced that they ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in the Turkish town of Reyhanli in Hatay province, Türkiye, - Reuters
Syrian migrants wait at the Cilvegozu border gate to cross into Syria, after Syrian rebels announced that they ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in the Turkish town of Reyhanli in Hatay province, Türkiye, - Reuters

Over two million Syrians who had fled their homes during their country's war have returned since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad, UN refugee agency chief Filippo Grandi said Thursday, ahead of a visit to Syria.

The Syrian civil war, which erupted in 2011 with Assad's brutal repression of anti-government protests, displaced half of the population internally or abroad.

But Assad's December 8 ouster at the hands of Islamist forces sparked hopes of return.

"Over two million Syrian refugees and displaced have returned home since December," Grandi wrote on X during a visit to neighboring Lebanon, which hosts about 1.5 million Syrian refugees, according to official estimates, AFP reported.

It is "a sign of hope amid rising regional tensions," he said.

"This proves that we need political solutions -- not another wave of instability and displacement."

After 14 years of war, many returnees face the reality of finding their homes and property badly damaged or destroyed.

But with the recent lifting of Western sanctions on Syria, new authorities hope for international support to launch reconstruction, which the UN estimates could cost more than $400 billion.

Earlier this month, UNHCR estimated that up to 1.5 million Syrians from abroad and two million internally displaced persons may return by the end of 2025.