As Lebanon commemorated on August 4 the first anniversary of the devastating explosion in the port of Beirut that left more than 200 people dead, the country is once again in mourning over a disaster. At least 20 people were killed in a tanker explosion in the Akkar region in the north of the country, the Lebanese Red Cross said on Sunday.
“Our teams evacuated 20 bodies and more than 7 wounded from the scene of the explosion,” the Red Cross tweeted. The origin of the explosion was not immediately known.
Lebanon, faced with a very serious economic crisis, has faced fuel shortages for months, affecting the supply of basic goods. Angry protesters blocked several roads in the country on Thursday, a day after a Banque du Liban decision amounting to a lift in fuel subsidies.
The army was deployed Saturday at gas stations, where endless lines formed. Fuel distribution trucks have been robbed in some areas by angry citizens, according to local media. The military said Saturday it had seized thousands of gallons of gasoline and diesel reserved by dealers.