Huge Fire Erupts at Beirut Port 1 Month After Devastating Blast

Firefighters work to extinguish a blaze at warehouses at the seaport in Beirut, Lebanon, Sept. 10, 2020.

A large fire erupted at the Port of Beirut Thursday one month after a devastating explosion that killed scores of people and injured thousands of others, according to the state-run National News Agency.

A military source said the fire broke out at a port facility that stores oil and tires and that the cause of the fire was not immediately clear.

The fire sent a huge column of black smoke above the city as orange flames flared from the ground.

The news agency reported that firefighters were battling the fire.

Area residents panicked at the site of another huge fire after being traumatized by last month’s explosion.

In addition to killing more than 190 people and injuring some 6,500 others, the August 4 explosion damaged thousands of buildings.

The August blast has been blamed on the detonation of 2,750 metric tons of ammonium nitrate that had been improperly stored for six years at the port.