The damaged silos of the port of Beirut on April 14, 2022. (Credit: Matthieu Karam/L'Orient Today)
BEIRUT — Two Lebanese Forces MPs submitted a bill Tuesday aimed at suspending the destruction of Beirut port silos, which were damaged by the Aug. 4, 2020 explosion, the state-run National News Agency reported. Cabinet on April 14 approved the demolition of the silos despite vocal opposition from an array of groups, including relatives of many of the victims killed by the blast.
Here’s what we know:
• According to the NNA, MPs Georges Okais and Imad Wakim presented the bill. They indicated that it aims to “temporarily prevent” the destruction of the silos until the investigation into the Beirut port explosion has been concluded.
• The two MPs also criticized the fact that the government “rushed the decision to demolish the building before the publication of the conclusion of the port blast investigation.”
• On April 15, following the government’s decision to destroy the silos, families of the victims of the port explosion demonstrated against the decision.
• Some experts claim that the damaged structure of the silos tilts several more millimeters each day, presenting a risk of collapse.