Caretaker Environment Minister Nasser Yassine (1st from left) inspecting the garbage dump that caught fire in Tripoli, North Lebanon, September 14, 2022. (Souhayb Jawhar/L'ORIENT-LE JOUR)
BEIRUT — A waste dumps in Tripoli, North Lebanon, caught fire Wednesday, according to a correspondent with L'Orient Le Jour, but was largely controlled by the evening.
A large column of smoke could be seen emanating from the dump, known as site "number one" because it is the oldest in the area. Firemen rushed to the scene, and army helicopters helped to extinguish the fire. The fire was largely under control by the late afternoon, and caretaker Minister of Environment Nasser Yassine arrived to inspected the scene.
Earlier in the day, local residents said they feared a large explosion might shake the site and calls to evacuate residents from surrounding neighborhoods circulated on social media. However, Nour Ayoubi, chairman of the environment committee for the municipality of Tripoli, was quick to reassure the populace that, while dumb site number two contains large quantities of flammable methane, site number one does not.
Ayoubi said there was no risk of a major explosion, but warned of toxic fumes from the fire and called on local residents to maintain caution.
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati monitored the situation during the day Wednesday and contacted caretaker Minister of Interior Bassam Mawalawi, according to our correspondent. Mikati also called Armed Forces Commander General Joseph Aoun to discuss the intervention of military helicopters on the scene. Shortly after, several helicopters were seen taking off from Kleiate air base in the direction of the site, our correspondent reported.
Mikati expressed the need to give the firefighters and the Civil Defense the ability "to deploy all possible measures to quickly contain this fire and ensure the safety of Tripolitans.”
The northern city suffers from a massive waste crisis. The collection and treatment of garbage has never been successfully organized, despite numerous attempts, like many other Lebanese regions.
As of Wednesday evening, a small fire was still burning at site number one.
Reporting contributed by Michel Hallak. Additional reporting by Sohayb Jawhar