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Second fire in downtown Beirut in less than a week

There have been two fires in the city since the devastating Aug. 4 explosion.

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Workers clean debris in the Beirut Souks shopping district in the center of the Lebanese capital on Aug. 6, 2020, in the aftermath of a massive explosion in the Lebanese capital. — JOSEPH EID/AFP via Getty Images

Another fire broke out in downtown Beirut today. It was the second fire to occur in the Lebanese capital since the devastating port explosion in August.

This time, a department store in the Beirut Souks high-end shopping district caught on fire. The large building was under construction, the Lebanese news outlet Naharnet reported. Multiple outlets reported the fire has since been extinguished.

Videos on social media showed a large, round building on fire and black smoke emanating from the structure.

There have been several incidents in the area as of late. On Sept. 10, there was a fire at the Beirut port. Both the port and Beirut Souks are in the populous downtown area.

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