Fire at the American University of Beirut on Jul. 5, 2024. (Credit: Eyewitness)
BEIRUT — A fire broke out at the American University of Beirut (AUB) on Friday and people were evacuated after a thick black smoke covered the area, an eyewitness and an AUB student told L'Orient Today.
According to an eyewitness, some people got anxious and started screaming as they were not aware of what was going on.
An AUB student told L'Orient Today the corporation yard building, which contains a physical powerplant, caught fire. It is located next to the university's design building.
The student added that the fire was contained and that no injuries have been recorded so far.
In a statement, AUB's Office of Communications said that at 3:20 p.m., a fire broke out at the scrapyard on the campus.
"The AUB Emergency Response Team, Office of Protection, and Physical Plant Department collaborated with the Beirut Fire Brigade and Lebanese Civil Defense to put out the fire. Fortunately, there were no injuries or casualties reported and only moderate material damage. Investigations are ongoing to identify the root cause," the statement said.
