In the Lebanese capital, Beirut, a fire erupted on Tuesday Morning at Beirut Souks, a Zaha Hadid-Designed building. External walls of the under-construction department store fell as flames ravaged the building. The first reports did not clarify the causes of the fire.
Under control now, as announced by the Lebanese Civil Defense, the flames that broke out at the originally designed Zaha Hadid Building caused no injuries so far. The fire that started on Tuesday Morning destroyed mainly the façade of the structure facing the Hilton hotel.
Comprising of five levels, including a department store and a mixed-use facility with retail on lower levels and serviced apartments on higher floors, the project is located in downtown Beirut, in close proximity to the port, where almost a month ago, an explosion destroyed 40% of the Lebanese capital. Nearing completion, the new commercial complex was part of the historic souk area. It was Zaha Hadid, second intervention in the city, after the famed Issam Fares Institute at the American University of Beirut.
News via Al-Jazeera.