Among words of condolence, French shipping line CMA CGM confirmed that one of its vessels which was in proximity of the Port of Beirut on 4 August was unharmed in the explosion.
In a statement the company said, the CMA CGM LYRA (11,400 TEU), which was in operation on Tuesday evening, was located 1.5 km from the site of the explosion. None of the crew was injured. The vessel was not damaged.
On shore, the Group has launched an emergency plan to conduct a thorough health and safety assessment of its 261 staff members based in Beirut.
The company said the Group’s headquarters in Lebanon was severely damaged.
“At this stage, the preliminary toll shows two seriously injured and many minor injuries. One member of our staff at the port is currently missing. We are doing our utmost, in collaboration with the local authorities, to find him,” the company said.
Business continuity plan
CMA CGM, with its subsidiary CEVA Logistics, immediately offered the Lebanese and French governments logistics and maritime assistance in order to respond to the emergency.
The Group is ensuring everything is in place to guarantee perfect business continuity and to maintain the supply of primary necessities to the country.
An operational organisation has been put in place to establish a logistics hub in Tripoli, Lebanon.
All ships are to be diverted to Tripoli or other terminals in the region until further notice, the company said.
In order to maintain business continuity, the Group has organised three recovery sites, of which two are in Beirut and one in Tripoli.
