The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission has arrived in Lebanon to assist local authorities in investigating the potential radiation threat from an explosion in the port of Beirut. This was announced on Monday by IAEA Director =-General Rafael Grossi at a meeting of the Agency's Board of governors.
Grossi said the IAEA is working closely with the Lebanese authorities to assess the damage to health and infrastructure in Beirut after the explosion at the port.
"The IAEA assistance mission involving the Response and Assistance Network (RANET) teams from participating states arrived in Lebanon on Saturday and will begin work today to assist in conducting radiation research, taking samples and analyses, and advising on potential radiation threats," the IAEA Director-General said.
On August 4, an explosion occurred in the port of Beirut, the capacity of which was 1.5 thousand tons in TNT equivalent. The blast wave destroyed and damaged thousands of homes, killed 192 people, injured 6.5 thousand and left more than 300 thousand citizens homeless. According to the Lebanese Interior Ministry, the explosion was caused by a fire that occurred during welding operations over 2.7 thousand tons of ammonium nitrate stored in barn No. 12 in the port.
The RANET assists IAEA member states in radiation surveys, determining levels of radioactive contamination, conducting the radiological screening, and detecting radionuclides.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: WAEL HAMZEH / EPA / TASS
Based on materials from TASS