Beirut Port 'Resumes Full Capacity' after Blast, Kaissi Says

The new director of Beirut’s port Bassem el-Kaissi said on Thursday that the port has resumed 100 percent of its operational procedures for shipping and discharging cargo after the August 4 massive blast.

He said operations are carried out in a normal manner and include all areas, containers and various goods.

“We have summoned the owners of sunken ships and insurance companies within a maximum period of 24 hours, so that we could withdraw all the rubble at the required speed,” said Kaissi.

His remarks came after a meeting attended by representatives of the French army present in the port, devoted to presenting the practical results reached through field operations.

On Wednesday, French and Lebanese soldiers cleared 8,000 tons of steel and concrete equivalent to the weight of the Eiffel Tower from Beirut port which was devastated by a monster blast.

Efforts have focused recently on clearing the parts of the port worst affected by the explosion that ripped across swathes of Beirut and killed more than 180 people.

The Tonnerre, a huge French amphibious helicopter carrier, arrived in Beirut earlier in August with dozens of trucks and heavy machinery to clear the debris.

The blast, one of the largest in recent history, leveled entire sectors of the port, created a 43-metre-deep crater that was covered by the sea, and sent a shockwave that damaged property and wounded people several mile.