Two people perished Friday night in Beirut in a fire and explosion caused by a fuel tank in a densely populated area, again sowing panic after a series of fires and the deadly blast of August 4 at the port.
Lieutenant Ali Najm, engaged with the Beirut fire brigade, reported a "
fuel oil tank
" that caught fire and an explosion in the Tariq al-Jdidé neighborhood, telling AFP that the causes were not yet known.
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"
Two bodies were found,
" said Georges Kettané, secretary general of the Lebanese Red Cross, questioned by the private television channel al-Jadeed.
He also reported "
wounded taken to hospital
", according to the National News Agency ANI.
Al-Jadeed, who speaks of more than 20 injured, showed flames in an alleyway and then images of screams from residents of the area.
Firefighters, using sliding ladders, evacuated residents of neighboring buildings, while gray smoke was still visible, according to images broadcast by the channel.
The ANI agency reported "
the explosion of an oil tank in a bakery which caused a fire
".
In Lebanon, fuel oil is essential to run generators as the country has experienced severe power shortages for years.
Lebanon experienced a deadly and devastating explosion at the port of Beirut on August 4, which deeply traumatized the country.
The tragedy left 203 dead and 6,500 injured, according to the government's latest report, devastating entire districts of the capital.
Since then, several fires have broken out in Beirut - including a spectacular fire at the port on September 10.
