Civil defense crews preparing for an operation. (Credit: @CivilDefenseLB/Twitter)
BEIRUT — A fire that broke out inside a textile warehouse near the airport road in Beirut's southern suburbs has been burning since Monday night, with Civil Defense teams battling the flames, Civil Defense said in a statement Saturday.
The organization's spokesperson Raymon Khattar said in the statement that firefighting operations in the warehouse "are being carried out amid extremely difficult conditions due to the accumulation of goods inside the warehouse, which resulted in the lack of access to the source of the fire."
A Civil Defense spokesperson told L’Orient Today Wednesday that authorities expected to "completely" extinguish the fire "in a few hours," but in the event the conflagration has continued since Monday, compelling many residents to complain of fumes.
A Civil Defense firefighter died Tuesday night during operations at the warehouse and four others were injured, state-run National News Agency reported.
The deceased was buried Wednesday in his hometown Harouf, Nabatieh, South Lebanon.
The cause of the fire remain unknown.
Following up on the firefighting mission, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati remarked upon the great sacrifices firefighters are making.
Last week, Beirut Governor Marwan Abboud announced a series of measures aimed at reducing fire risks amid Lebanon's ongoing heatwave.