After witnessing flooded streets today in Lebanon due to heavy rainfall, Minister of Public Works and Transport Fayez Rassamni explained that what happened was “that in 20 minutes, very heavy rain fell, and it is natural for water to accumulate, but we dealt with it quickly.” He added in a call with MTV: “When the intensity of the rain exceeds our expectations, it is normal for water to accumulate, and this happens in all countries. If we hadn’t acted as we should, we would have witnessed a worse scenario.”

In response to a question about whether the streets could flood during the Pope’s visit, he said: “I will hold a meeting to assess what happened today with the water accumulation, so we can address the situation if it happens again. A fundamental part of the problem with water accumulation is the random dumping of waste on the streets.”