Dangerous chemicals still at Beirut port: French experts

12 August,2020 07:24 AM IST |  Beirut  |  Agencies

A girl stands at the window of her apartment overlooking the destroyed silo on at Beirut's port, on Tuesday. Pic/AFP


Chemical experts and firefighters are working to secure 20 potentially dangerous chemical containers at the explosion-shattered port of Beirut, after finding one that was leaking, according to a member of a French cleanup team.

Some of the containers were punctured in last week's blast, said Lt. Anthony, a French chemical expert at the site who was not authorised to be identified by his full name as per government policy.

French and Italian chemical experts working amid the remains of the port have so far identified more than 20 containers carrying dangerous chemicals, Anthony said.

"We noted the presence of containers with the chemical danger symbol. And then noted that one of the containers was leaking," he told The Associated Press. The experts are working with Lebanese firefighters to secure all of the containers and analyse their contents, he said. "We need to clean everything and put all in security."

He didn't identify what chemicals were involved or provide more details. Lebanese officials have not commented on the potential chemical risks at the port. "There are also other flammable liquids in other containers, there are also batteries, or other kind of products which could increase the risk of potential explosion," Anthony said.

20
Approx no. of containers at blast site

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