28 killed, 79 injured in fuel tank explosion in northern Lebanon
A fuel tank exploded Sunday early morning in northern Lebanons town of Tleil, district of Akkar, killing at least 28 people and injuring 79 others, the National News Agency reported.
The Lebanese army said both army members and citizens are among the casualties.
Security sources were quoted by media outlets as saying that the explosion took place when the army was distributing fuel among citizens after having seized a fuel storage tank hidden by black marketeers in Akkar.
Sources added that about 200 people were nearby at the time of the explosion. Moreover, the Lebanese Red Cross announced earlier in the day that its teams were still searching on the scene.
The High Relief Committee urged all international organizations in Lebanon to provide medicines, serums and other materials needed to treat the severe burn cases of the injured in the explosion.
The committee's Secretary General Mohamad Kheir said that he has contacted officials in Turkey and Egypt to transfer some seriously injured to these countries for treatment.
Lebanese President Michel Aoun expressed his deep sadness for the incident and held a meeting with the Higher Defense Council to discuss the latest developments.
Lebanon, which is facing an unprecedented financial crisis, has been grappling with fuel shortages for months.
A truck is burned by angry youths near the site of the petrol tank explosion in Akkar, northern Lebanon, on August 15, 2021.
People wait to fill gasoline at a gas station in the city of Tripoli, northern Lebanon, on Aug. 12, 2021.
