At Least 20 Dead in Lebanon Tanker Explosion... One Year Since Beirut Disaster (Comprehensive)

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] On the 15th (local time), a fuel tanker truck exploded in the Akkar region of northern Lebanon, killing at least 20 people and injuring 80, AFP reported.

The Lebanese Red Cross stated, "Our team transported 20 bodies from the fuel tank explosion site to the hospital."

They also added that 79 people were injured.

The deceased transported to the hospital were so badly burned that identification was difficult, and the injured were reportedly moved several tens of kilometers to a well-equipped hospital, not nearby, for burn treatment.

Videos shared on social media showed a large fire at the scene, but AFP reported that the authenticity of these videos has not yet been confirmed.

The exact cause of the explosion has not been determined.

The Lebanese state news agency reported that the explosion occurred in a fuel container seized by the military.

Residents had gathered overnight to fill gasoline from this container, and after a scuffle, the explosion occurred.

AFP reported that the military left the scene before the scuffle with the residents took place.

The Lebanese army had seized thousands of liters of gasoline and diesel that distributors had stockpiled the day before.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Lebanon, which has been facing its worst economic crisis since 2019, is currently experiencing severe fuel shortages in addition to poverty and currency devaluation.

As a result, many areas receive electricity for only two hours a day, and even hospitals are facing closure threats due to power shortages.

This fuel tanker explosion occurred just over a year after the Beirut port explosion disaster that claimed more than 200 lives.

On August 4, 2020, a massive fire caused by the explosion of ammonium nitrate stored at Beirut's port reduced the city to ruins.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Lebanon faced an unprecedented crisis, but the government responsible for caring for the people has not been formed, leading to a political vacuum.

After then-Prime Minister Hassan Diab resigned taking responsibility for the explosion disaster, a third prime minister nominee has emerged, but the cabinet has yet to be formed. There has been no progress in the investigation into the exact cause of the accident.

The World Bank (WB) recently diagnosed Lebanon's economic crisis as the most severe and prolonged depression in world history since the mid-19th century.

Former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri wrote on Twitter, "The 'massacre' in Akkar is no different from the 'massacre' at the (Beirut) port," and criticized, "If this were a country that respects its people, from the president to the last person responsible for such neglect, they would have resigned."