SAWT BEIRUT INTERNATIONAL

| 28 March 2024, Thursday |

Several people dead in explosion at south Lebanon Palestinian camp

A massive explosion shook a Palestinian settlement in the southern Lebanese port city of Tyre on Friday night, killing and injuring many people, according to official television.

According to a Palestinian source within the camp, at least 12 individuals were hurt, and the number of dead was unclear.

According to the state-run National News Agency, the explosion occurred inside a Hamas weapons storage in the Burj al-Shemali camp, and a judge has ordered security forces to conduct an inquiry.

Shehab News Agency, seen as close to Hamas, quoted a Palestinian source as saying the explosion was caused by the ignition of oxygen canisters stored for use in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hamas maintains a presence in a number of Palestinian camps in Lebanon.

The surrounding area had been evacuated and rescue crews had deployed, the Palestinian source said.

Videos from the scene shared by local media show a number of small bright red flashes above the southern city, followed by a large explosion and the sound of glass breaking.

A number of armed Palestinian factions, including Hamas and the Fatah Movement, hold effective control over roughly a dozen Palestinian camps in the country, which Lebanese authorities by custom do not enter.

    Source:
  • Reuters
  • Sawt Beirut International