German firms put forward proposal to rebuild Beirut port

BEIRUT: Representatives of several German companies on Friday outlined a multi-billion-dollar plan to rebuild the port of Beirut and surrounding neighborhoods that had been devastated by a massive explosion last year.

The horrific Aug. 4 explosion of nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate, a highly explosive chemical used in fertilizers, killed 211 people and injured more than 6,000. The material had been stored at a port warehouse for years. The blast - one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history - badly worsened Lebanon's economic crisis that saw hundreds of thousands plunged into sudden poverty. Several countries are said to be interested in rebuilding the port and the surrounding areas, including Turkey and China, but Germany’s consortium, led by Hamburg Port Consulting and Colliers, was the first to visit Lebanon with a plan in hand that they presented to Lebanese officials.