Thursday, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced the arrival of a team of experts to Lebanon.
AlTaghyeer: Agencies
The agency indicated that this week the team will help enhance the country’s ability to inspect the safety of buildings affected by last year’s Beirut Port explosion.
The international team will train national authorities and professionals to perform non-destructive testing to verify the structural integrity of these buildings.
In a statement issued today, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, said the IAEA’s experience is relevant to non-destructive testing, and that they can play a crucial role in disaster prevention and management.
He added that the agency provides technical support in this area to help Lebanon check whether the damaged buildings are safe.
The United Nations agency explained that these tests are used to evaluate the safety and characteristics of components, machines, and structures without compromising what had been tested.
During the week-long mission, the IAEA team –which includes 3 experts from Italy, Malaysia and Spain and one staff member from the Agency— will carry out practical training on non-destructive testing.
This was done using specialized equipment in the buildings damaged by the explosion in central Beirut.
The Director General of the Lebanese Atomic Energy Authority, Bilal Nsouli, stated that the authority faced many challenges in its response to the explosion.
He pointed out that the COVID-19 pandemic has added another layer of complexity to the multiple crises in Lebanon.
“The IAEA’s support will help us develop a sustainable national capacity to use non-destructive testing at multiple sites across the city,” he said.
