Dark smoke rises from the port silos Thursday afternoon. (Photo circulated on social media)
BEIRUT — Forces of Change MP Paula Yacoubian on Thusday submitted an “urgent” draft law to Parliament that would classify the port silos as a “national sight for Lebanon’s heritage” in order to remember the Aug. 4, 2022 port explosion, the state-run National News Agency reported.
Here’s what we know:
• Also on Thursday, another fire with heavy gray smoke can be seen from Beirut’s port silos.
• According to the NNA, Yacoubian mentioned among the reasons for submitting the law the fact that “if it wasn’t for the silos, Beirut would have been fully destroyed, which classifies this building as a live witness of this catastrophe.”
• An “urgent” draft law would mean it would be voted on in Parliament’s session scheduled for next Tuesday. Yacoubian said that the reason why she submitted it as an “urgent” law is because of the “vigorous and serious attempts to demolish the wheat silos.”
• For nearly a week, a fire was reported at the port silos, without any intervention by the Civil Defense, due to Public Works Minister Ali Hamieh barring firefighters from entering the area. On Saturday, army helicopters put out the fire, which MP Melhem Khalaf announced, saying an "agreement" was made.
• On March 16, cabinet approved the destruction of the Beirut port silos in a meeting despite opposition from relatives of the victims of the Aug. 4, 2020 explosion and activists. Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati however, said on May 9, “The silos at the port of Beirut will not be destroyed as long as he is in office.”