Another significant section of the devastated Beirut Port silos collapsed on Tuesday morning in a cloud of dust. No injuries were reported — the area had been long evacuated — but the collapse was another painful reminder of the horrific August 2020 explosion. The collapse left the silos' southern part standing next to a pile of charred ruins. The northern block had already been slowly tipping over since the initial explosion two years ago but rapidly deteriorated after it caught fire over a month ago due to fermenting grains. The 50 year old, 48 meter (157 feet) tall silos had withstood the force of the explosion on Aug. 4, 2020, effectively shielding the western part of Beirut from the blast that killed over 200 people, injured more than 6,000 and badly damaged entire neighborhoods. Emmanuel Durand, a French civil engineer who volunteered for the government-commissioned team of experts, told The Associated Press that the speed of the tilt rapidly accelerated overnight on Monday, just hours before the collapse. “There was a very sharp acceleration, which was expected,” Durand explained. “When this happens, you know it’s going to go.” The country's caretaker environment minister, Nasser Yassin, told Lebanese TV that the government will now look into how to ensure the southern block remains standing. He urged residents near the port to wear masks, and said experts would conduct air quality tests. In April, the Lebanese government decided to demolish the silos, but suspended the decision following protests from families of the blast’s victims and survivors. They contend that the silos may contain evidence useful for the judicial probe, and that it should stand as a memorial for the 2020 tragedy. Read: Part of Beirut port silos, damaged in 2020 blast, collapses In July, a fire broke out in the northern block of the silos due to the fermenting grains. Firefighters and Lebanese Army soldiers were unable to put it out and it smoldered for over a month. Officials had warned that the silo could collapse, but feared risking the lives of firefighters and soldiers who struggled to get too close to put out the blaze or drop containers of water from helicopters. Survivors of the blast and residents near the port have told the AP that watching the fire from their homes and offices was like reliving the trauma from the port blast, which started with a fire in a warehouse near the silos that contained hundreds of tons of explosive ammonium nitrate, improperly stored there for years. The environment and health ministries in late July issued instructions to residents living near the port to stay indoors in well-ventilated spaces. Durand last month told the AP that the fire from the grains had sped up the speed of the tilt of the shredded silo and caused irreversible damage to its weak concrete foundation. The structure has rapidly deteriorated ever since. In late July, part of the northern block collapsed for the first time. Days later on the second anniversary of the Beirut Port blast, roughly a fourth of the structure collapsed. On Sunday, the fire expanded to large sections of the silo.

A section of Beirut's massive port grain silos, shredded in the 2020 explosion, collapsed in a huge cloud of dust on Sunday after a weekslong fire, triggered by grains that had fermented and ignited in the summer heat. The northern block of the silos toppled after what sounded like an explosion, kicking up thick gray dust that enveloped the iconic structure and the port next to a residential area. It was not immediately clear if anyone was injured. Assaad Haddad the General Director of the Port Silo, told The Associated Press that “everything is under control” but that the situation has not subsided yet. Minutes later, the dust subsided and calm returned. However, Youssef Mallah, from the Civil Defense department, said that other parts of the silos' northern block were at risk and that other sections of the giant ruin could collapse. The 50 year-old, 48 meter (157 feet) tall silos had withstood the force of the explosion two years ago, effectively shielding the western part of Beirut from the blast that killed over 200 people, injured more than 6,000 and badly damaged entire neighborhoods. In July, a fire broke out in the northern block of the silos due to the fermenting grains. Firefighters and Lebanese Army soldiers were unable to put it out and it smoldered for weeks, a nasty smell spreading around. The environment and health ministries last week issued instructions to residents living near the port to stay indoors in well-ventilated spaces. The fire and the dramatic sight of the partially blackened silo revived memories and in some cases, the trauma for the survivors of the gigantic explosion that tore through the port on Aug. 4, 2020. Many rushed to close windows and return indoors after the collapse Sunday. Rima Zahed, whose brother died in the 2020 blast and who has been part of a survivors' group lobbying for the preservation of the silos as a testament to the port explosion, blamed the government for not taking action to put out the weekslong fire. “We were talking about this three weeks ago, but they chose to do nothing and leave it on fire,” she said. “This shows the state’s failure.” When the fermenting grains ignited earlier in July, Lebanese firefighters and army soldiers had tried to put out the fire, but officials and experts told them to stop, fearing the additional moisture from the water would worsen the situation. The Interior Ministry said over a week later that the fire had spread, after reaching some electric cables nearby. The silos continued smoldering for weeks as the stench of the fermented grains seeped into nearby neighborhoods. Residents and survivors of the explosion told the AP that seeing the smoking silos was akin to reliving their trauma of the port blast. The environment and health ministries last week instructed residents living near the port to stay indoors in well-ventilated spaces. Read: Huge fire breaks out at Beirut port a month after explosion The Lebanese Red Cross distributed K-N95 masks to those living nearby, and officials ordered firefighters and port workers to stay away from the immediate area near the silos. Emmanuel Durand, a French civil engineer who volunteered for the government-commissioned team of experts, told the AP earlier in July that the northern block of the silo had been slowly tilting over time but that the recent fire accelerated the rate and caused irreversible damage to the already weakened structure. He told the AP on Sunday that he sent warnings that other parts of the northern block may also collapse imminently Durand has been monitoring the silos from thousands of miles away using data produced by sensors he installed over a year ago, and updating a team of Lebanese government and security officials on the developments in a WhatsApp group. He repeatedly warned that a collapse was imminent. Last April, the Lebanese government decided to demolish the silos, but suspended the decision following protests from families of the blast’s victims and survivors. They contend that the silos may contain evidence useful for the judicial probe, and that it should stand as a memorial for the tragic incident. The Beirut Port blast was one of the largest explosions in Lebanon's troubled history. It took place less than a year after an uprising rocked Lebanon, with hundreds of thousands protesting the country's entrenched sectarian political parties. The blast also precipitated Lebanon's economic crisis, costing billions of dollars in damages and destroying thousands of tons of grain. Three-quarters of the population now lives in poverty. The silos, barely standing, have since become an iconic structure in the heart of the devastated port, surrounded to this day by crushed vehicles and warehouses, and piles of debris. Sunday's collapse of a part of the silos' northern section comes just days ahead of the second anniversary of 2020 explosion. The Lebanese probe has revealed that senior government and security officials knew about the dangerous material stored at the port, though no officials have been convicted thus far. The implicated officials subsequently brought legal challenges against the judge leading the probe, which has left the investigation suspended since December.

Ten employees of a coal company died in northwestern China on Saturday when a mountainside slope collapsed on them, state media reported. Rescuers spent all day to retrieve the workers who were buried in their vehicle en route to a mine site in Jingtai county in Gansu province, CCTV reported. Read: Mountain collapses on township in China's remote southwest, killing two Ten died and seven were found alive with light injuries. Operations stopped around 8 p.m. Saturday The workers were employed by Shanxi Coking Coal Minbao group. An investigation into the incident was underway.

Pakistan collapsed to 100-7 at tea against Mitchell Starc’s searing pace in reply to Australia's mammoth 556-9 declared on the third day of the second test on Monday. Starc picked up 3-24 in a superb spell of left-arm fast bowling which included the wickets of Azhar Ali and Fawad Alam off successive deliveries. Pakistan lost six wickets in the middle session for only 62 runs and still needs 257 runs to avoid the follow-on. Also read: Australia rattle 505-8 against Pakistan in 2nd Test Home captain Babar Azam was unbeaten on 29 with Hasan Ali yet to score. Babar survived a close lbw referral against Pat Cummins before he had scored. Australia made early inroads when leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson ran out Abdullah Shafique before lunch. Nathan Lyon then ignited the collapse immediately after lunch when Imam-ul-Haq played a terrible shot and holed out to mid-on before Starc ran through the middle order. Azhar played away from his body and Cameron Green took an edge in the slips while Alam was out plumb lbw following a vicious yorker. Rizwan Ali was beaten off the hat-trick ball before eventually succumbing to Cummins. Much like the first test, off-spinner Lyon came into the attack early and the occasional delivery by him and debutant Swepson turned off a slow wicket. Earlier, Cummins (34 not out) helped add a rapid 51 runs after Australia resumed its first innings on 505-8. Also read: Can’t express my feelings in words: Nigar Sultana after historic win against Pakistan Despite losing Starc (28) to the second ball, which gave Shaheen Afridi his first wicket, Cummins and Swepson (15 not out) scored freely against spinners Sajid Khan and Nauman Ali. Cummins lofted two sixes off left-armer Nauman, who ended up with 1-134 from 48 overs. Sajid took 2-167 from 57 overs.

A 50-year-old bridge collapsed in Pittsburgh early Friday, requiring rescuers to rappel down a ravine and form a human chain to reach a few occupants of a municipal bus that plummeted along with the span. No deaths were reported. The collapse came hours before President Joe Biden arrived in the city to promote his $1 trillion infrastructure law, which has earmarked about $1.6 billion for Pennsylvania bridge maintenance. At least four people required hospital treatment. Five other vehicles were also on the bridge at the time. The cause was being investigated, and crews searched under the debris for additional victims. A large crack showed on the end of the bridge where the segmented bus landed 150 feet (46 meters) down in the ravine, as if hit by an earthquake. A car landed upside down in front of the bus, which was operated by the Pittsburgh area’s transit agency. The Forbes Avenue bridge over Fern Hollow Creek in Frick Park came down at 6:39 a.m., city officials said. The loud noise from the collapse was followed by a hissing sound and the smell of natural gas, witnesses said. “The first sound was much more intense, and kind of a rumbling, which I guess was the structure, the deck hitting the ground,” said Ken Doyno, a resident who lives four houses away. “I mean, the whole house rattled at that point.” Ruptured gas lines along the bridge produced the leak, and the supply of gas was shut off within a half-hour, city officials said. As Biden toured the scene, an officer told him a person who was running by helped first responders get people out of cars. He called it a miracle. “It really is, it’s astounding,” Biden said. By midafternoon, three adults were being treated, and all were in fair condition, the UPMC hospital system said. A fourth person had received treatment and was released. The National Transportation Safety Board sent a team to investigate. The agency tweeted a photo late Friday of Chair Jennifer Homendy at the scene. A search-and-rescue team combed the area, said Sam Wasserman, a spokesperson for Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey. Drones were brought in to help. Most of the 10 people evaluated for injuries were first responders who were checked for exhaustion or because of the cold and snowy weather, Gainey said. The segmented bus operated by the Port Authority of Allegheny County had two passengers in addition to the driver, said Adam Brandolph, spokesperson for the agency. The bus driver, Daryl Luciani, told WPXI-TV that as soon as he reached the bridge, he believed it was collapsing. “I could just feel it,” Luciani told the station. “The bus was bouncing and shaking and it seems long, but it was probably less than a minute that the bus finally came to a stop, and I was just thankful that nobody on the bus was hurt.” The passengers appeared to be OK, he said, so he pulled the air brake and waited for help to arrive. First responders reached them after descending with flashlights in the predawn darkness and used a rope to help him and other occupants get to safety, Luciani said. About two hours after the collapse, Brandolph said, one of the passengers was on another bus, began complaining of injuries and was taken to a hospital. The driver and other passenger were not hurt, according to Brandolph. The bus had started its route in downtown Pittsburgh and had been heading to the suburban community of Braddock. “Judging by the time of day, had this bus been traveling inbound, toward downtown, there likely would have been more people on the bus and obviously could have been a much, much more dire situation,” Brandolph said. The bus had seven or eight cameras, and any footage they captured of the collapse will be part of the investigation, Brandolph said. READ: Under-construction bridge collapses in Patuakhali Neighbors said a gas company worker went door to door to get them to evacuate from the immediate vicinity before the gas was successfully shut off. “Apart from just this abiding noise, we could begin to smell gas and that was the truly frightening thing, then with that smell we both said, let’s get dressed and get out of here,” said Lyn Krynski, whose home is nearest the bridge. “It sounded like a weather phenomenon more than anything,” said Douglas Gwilym, who was shoveling about an inch of snow when he heard the noise. “It was all I had to compare it to — it was this odd, whooshing sound.” The bridge is an important artery that leads to the Squirrel Hill and Oakland neighborhoods and is a popular route toward downtown Pittsburgh. Authorities told motorists to avoid the area. Several neighbors said a weather-prompted two-hour school delay may have prevented a far worse human tragedy. At the site of the collapse, Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman called it “just an awful, surreal scene.” “I hope it’s a wake-up call to the nation that we need to make these infrastructure investments,” Fetterman said. The steel bridge, which was built in 1970, carries about 14,500 vehicles a day, according to a 2005 estimate. Wasserman said the most recent inspection occurred in September but the report was not immediately available. But a September 2019 inspection of the city-owned bridge revealed the deck and superstructure to be in poor condition, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Bridge Inventory. A spreadsheet on the state Department of Transportation website listed the bridge’s overall condition as poor, which, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, means “deterioration of primary structural elements has advanced.”

A 21-story apartment building under construction collapsed in an upscale area of Nigeria's largest city, killing at least three people and leaving dozens more missing, officials and witnesses said on Monday. Lagos Police Commissioner Hakeem Odumosu confirmed the deaths, but added that three survivors had been pulled from the rubble in Ikoyi by Monday evening. Officials arriving at the scene were confronted by crowds of people venting their anger that rescue efforts started several hours after the collapse. Read: 30 killed as gunmen attack rural area in Nigeria's northwest Olayemi Bello told The Associated Press that five of his friends were trapped in the building and he feared the worst. “When they work finish, they will come outside and they will play with us and talk about the work,” he said. “Now, nobody. All of them are dead.” Construction worker Eric Tetteh said that he and his brother had managed to escape. But he estimated that more than 100 people were inside the building at the time it crumbled into a pile of debris. Workers said the high rise apartment building had been under construction for about two years, and it was not immediately known what had caused the collapse. Read: 3 groups of students freed in Nigeria in 24-hour period However, such incidents are relatively common in Lagos because enforcement of building code regulations is weak. Other observers blame shoddy work by private developers eager to meet demand for housing in the megacity.

Kenya, Sept 23 (AP/UNB) — A school collapsed in Kenya's capital on Monday morning, and officials said at least seven children were killed.