Beirut ship soon headed for Germany after port blast

A ship at a Beirut port carrying hazardous materials is getting prepared to set sail for Germany on Friday, months after an explosion in the area devastated the Lebanese capital. German company Combi Lift finished filling 59 containers with dangerous substances from the port, which were then loaded on the vessel to be disposed of in Europe.

"The ship is here and so on the weekend we are leaving for Germany," Combi Lift CEO Heiko Felderhoff said during an event celebrating the disposal of the materials. The ceremony was organized by the German Embassy in Lebanon and Ambassador Andreas Kindl. 

The Amoenitas ship is still docked in Beirut for now, according to the MarineTraffic tracking site.

Why is Combi Lift disposing of the substances?

The August 2020 blast in Beirut, which resulted in 207 deaths and thousands wounded, was caused by 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored at the city's port. United Nations Development Programme official Jihan Seoud said the explosion caused an estimated 100,000 to 800,000 tons of toxic waste to be discharged in the area.

Lebanon has limited areas for landfilling, with the country having no hazardous waste storage or treatment facilities. The UN and European countries then offered to assist Lebanon, with the Lebanese government eventually hiring Combi Lift to help dispose of dangerous materials from the port. 

Lebanese-German Business Council head Elias Assouad said Friday the cleanup initiative had cleared the port of "all toxic, cancerous, flammable and highly reactive materials." Some of the dangerous materials at the port had been stored for decades.

The blast itself has stirred controversy in Lebanon, with many Lebanese accusing the government of corruption and negligence. Prime Minister Hassan Diab resigned days after the explosion, as protests erupted across the country. 

wd/aw (AFP)