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[[A debate rages in Lebanon over what to do with the heavily damaged grain silos that bore the brunt of a massive port explosion in 2020. Two years
later, victims and relatives fight to preserve the collapsing silos as a reminder of the need for accountability. Jacob Russell reports from Beirut.]]
Content TypePackage
LanguageEnglish
Transcript/ScriptLEBANON SILOS
HEADLINE: For Beirut Residents, Damaged Grain Silos Are Symbols of Trauma
TEASER: Two years after a blast damaged the Lebanese capital's port, some want to preserve collapsing structures as reminders of accountability
PUBLISHED AT: 8/8/22, 5:01p
BYLINE: Jacob Russell
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Beirut
VIDEOGRAPHER: Jacob Russell, Agency
PRODUCER:
SCRIPT EDITORS: LR, Reifenrath
VIDEO SOURCES: VOA ORIGINAL, AFP
PLATFORMS: WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO __
TRT: 2:21
VID APPROVED BY:
TYPE: TVPKG
UPDATE: Jacob Russell’s email is Jacob.russell@mac.com, jmrp0990@gmail.com. WhatsApp on
+44 7737815990))
((INTRO)) [[A debate rages in Lebanon over what to do with the heavily damaged grain silos that bore the brunt of a massive port explosion in 2020. Two years
later, victims and relatives fight to preserve the collapsing silos as a reminder of the need for accountability. Jacob Russell reports from Beirut.]]
((NARRATOR))
After the Beirut port explosion of August 2020, massive grain silos next to the blast remain standing, even though everything around them was flattened.
((NARRATOR))
Heavily damaged, they remained a potent symbol of the tragedy as investigations stalled and accountability seemed ever more elusive. No one has been arrested.
((NARRATOR))
George Bezidjian’s daughter, Jessica, was a nurse starting her night shift at a hospital near the port when she was killed by the explosion, one of 218 people reported dead.
((George Bezdjian, Daughter Killed in Port Blast - MALE IN ENGLISH))
“When I see the silos, I remember my daughter. I remember the day I lost her. They are silent. You know, they are blocks, but I feel they speak. They say to me, ‘There was a crime here.’”
((NARRATOR))
With the most heavily damaged part of the silos threatening to collapse, the Lebanese government ordered their demolition. Victims and activists have fought the decision, saying it is another attempt to cover up a crime for which nobody has taken responsibility.
[[RADIO VERSION: Divina Abou Jaoude is with the Order of Engineers and Architects.]]
((Divina Abou Jaoude, Order of Engineers and Architects, FEMALE IN ENGLISH))
"It’s very important to preserve it because it expresses the collective memory of the Lebanese people.”
“The demolition of these silos will be the expression of a total amnesia.”
((NARRATOR))
Two weeks before the second anniversary of the blast, grain left over in the ruins ignited. The fire accelerated the tilt of the silos, and parts began to collapse.
((NARRATOR))
A large section collapsed as people gathered at the port to mark the two-year anniversary of the blast.
((NARRATOR))
The government says the structure is unsafe and should be dismantled. But in a country that often chooses to bury collective trauma rather than face it, many people are skeptical of this argument.
[[RADIO VERSION: Again, George Bezdjian.]]
((George Bezdjian, Daughter Killed in Port Blast - MALE IN ENGLISH))
“We have to keep the silos, as much as we can keep it. And the silos must be a memorial. The government doesn't want that. They want to erase what happened there; they want to delete from our minds what happened there.”
((NARRATOR))
For now, George Bezdjian and others who lost loved ones in the explosion must cope with their grief privately.
((NARRATOR))
Meanwhile, the silos still stand on Beirut’s skyline, an ominous reminder of the disaster.
((Jacob Russell, for VOA News, Beirut))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)Beirut
Embargo DateAugust 8, 2022 17:39 EDT
Byline((Jacob Russell, for VOA News, Beirut))
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
