A fire broke out on Tuesday morning at the Zaha Hadid building in central Beirut. Videos on social media showed firefighters attempting to extinguish the flames as smoke billowed from the building and over the Hilton hotel next door.
Crowds gathered around the famous building, designed by celebrated architect Dame Zaha Hadid, as parts of the external wall fell away in the flames.
The Lebanese Civil Defence has announced that the flames are now under control. There have been no injuries reported so far.
It was not immediately clear what caused the fire at the futuristic seafront building, which sits on the main road that runs past the port.
This is the second time in less than a week that the city has suffered a major fire. Last Thursday, a blaze broke out at Beirut port, destroying a warehouse storing aid and sending a thick plume of smoke over the city.
The latest fire appears to have engulfed part of the historic souk area in the centre of Beirut. The Zaha Hadid building, a new commercial complex designed by the late British-Iraqi architect, has been under construction for years and was nearing completion when the fire broke out.
The Lebanese capital is still reeling from the huge explosion that killed almost 200 people and injured more than 6,000 on August 4. The blast, which laid waste to swathes of the city and left around 300,000 homeless, prompted the government to resign six days later.
The country is facing an unprecedented economic crisis and financial collapse, blamed on decades of mismanagement and corruption by an entrenched political class.
Last month’s blast – caused by nearly 3,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate being improperly stored at the port for years – is seen as the culmination of leaders unable to manage the country’s affairs or protect its people.
So far, authorities have been unable to provide answers about the explosion, and there has been no accountability for it.
Last week's fire prompted terrified residents to open their windows and take refuge in corridors fearing a repeat of the August 4 explosion.
It's unclear what sparked the flames last week, which reignited on Saturday before being fully extinguished.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Sheer grandeur
The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.
A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Tottenham v Ajax, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Ajax v Tottenham, Wednesday, May 8, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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Cry Macho
Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Dwight Yoakam
Rating:**
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Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Company%20Profile
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All or Nothing
Amazon Prime
Four stars
The bio
Favourite book: Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer
Favourite quote: “The world makes way for the man who knows where he is going.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist
Favourite Authors: Arab poet Abu At-Tayyib Al-Mutanabbi
Favourite Emirati food: Luqaimat, a deep-fried dough soaked in date syrup
Hobbies: Reading and drawing
