
Fire truck near the Manar-Tripoli road, where a fire had broken out, on 16 Sept. 2024. (Credit: Michel Hallak/L'Orient Today)
BEIRUT — The major fire that broke out Saturday morning in the MTV channel building in Naccache, Metn, has been brought under control by Civil Defense teams before noon.
The channel, which had to interrupt its broadcasts, resumed live programming around 11:30 AM. MTV reported that the fire started at approximately 8:20 AM while employees were already present on-site. The building, located on an elevated area, is visible from the coastal Dbayeh highway connecting Beirut to Jounieh. An MTV reporter stated that normal programming is expected to resume gradually by the evening, but no further details were provided about the cause of the fire.
First responders quickly arrived to extinguish the flames, according to local media reports.
Several outlets indicated that the fire originated from a generator inside the building. Smoke from the generator spread into the studios, forcing the station to suspend live broadcasts, which were temporarily replaced with pre-recorded segments. The channel apologized to its audience for the interruption, explaining that it was caused by a technical malfunction.
The Civil Defense has not yet responded to our calls.