Grain elevators damaged by the gigantic explosion that devastated the port of Beirut last year will have to be destroyed because they are at risk of collapsing, according to a report released on Monday (April 5th).
This report was drawn up by the Swiss firm Amann Engineering, which provided assistance to the Lebanese authorities after the disaster of August 4, 2020 which devastated the port and part of the Lebanese capital, killing more than 200 people.
Read also: Lebanon: the case of the explosion at the port of Beirut is getting worse
Experts from Amann Engineering laser scanned the large gutted block of silos that rises near the site of the explosion.
In their report, they state that it is
"an unstable and shifting structure"
.
"Our recommendation is to proceed with the deconstruction of this block,"
said the report.
"It is becoming more and more evident that the concrete pillars have been heavily damaged"
, underline the experts, for whom
"new silos will have to be built in another place"
.
According to the Lebanese authorities, the explosion, which occurred in one of the port sheds, was caused by a shipment of ammonium nitrate, a product used as a fertilizer but also as an industrial explosive.
This stock of nitrate, seized on board a ship and stored in the port for years, had caught fire, causing the gigantic explosion.
To read also: Renaud Girard: "The inability of Lebanon to help itself"
The silo block, an imposing structure 48 meters high, had a capacity of over 100,000 tons.
Lebanese Economy Minister Raoul Nehme said in November that it should be destroyed, but authorities have yet to make a decision on it.
According to Amann Engineering's report,
"the facts show that there is no way to ensure safety even in the medium term if the north block
(of the structure)
remains as it is
.
"
The damage to some of the silos was so severe that they tilted dangerously.
“The incline occurs at the rate of 2 millimeters per day, which is a lot structurally speaking,” say
the experts.
They recall by way of comparison that before being stabilized by major works, the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa tilted at 5 millimeters per year.
The confirmation that the silos cannot be saved complicates an already critical situation in Lebanon in terms of food supply.
Lebanon is 85% dependent on imports in this area.
It is also experiencing its most serious economic crisis in decades.
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