Beirut: At least 20 people were killed and several others were injured when a fuel tanker truck exploded in northern Lebanon on Sunday morning. The reason for the explosion is not clear. The Red Cross of Lebanon gave this information. Lebanon’s Red Cross said that 20 bodies were found by its teams from the village of Taleil, 79 people injured in the blast and scorched have been evacuated.
Lebanese Health Minister Hamad Hassan has asked all hospitals in northern Lebanon and the capital Beirut to admit those injured in the blast and the government will bear the cost of their treatment.
There is now a severe fuel shortage in Lebanon
Lebanon is facing severe fuel shortages due to smuggling, hoarding, and the economic crisis-ridden government’s inability to safely distribute imported fuel.
Taleil is about four kilometers from the Syrian border and it is not yet clear whether the fuel in the tanker was being taken to Syria for smuggling. In fact, the cost of fuel in Syria is much higher than in Lebanon.
Earlier, on 4 August 2020, there was an explosion at the port of Beirut in which at least 214 people were killed and hundreds were injured.
