Explosion near Lebanon’s Sidon Leaves One Dead, Several Injured

By Staff, Agencies

At least one person lost his life and seven others sustained injuries in an explosion near the southern Lebanese port city of Sidon.

Local media said the casualties took place in the Bnaafoul district of Sidon in the early hours of Tuesday.

Arabic-language Lebanon 24 news website said the blast caused serious material damage.

Citing an unnamed Lebanese official, Reuters said the blast took place at a scout center affiliated with Lebanon's Amal Movement, an ally of the Hezbollah resistance movement, demolishing the whole building.

The blast occurred after a fire engulfed the al-Rissala Civil Defense headquarters in Bnaafoul, where 12 oxygen canisters have been stored since the era of fighting the coronavirus pandemic. The fire caused the explosion of the canisters, which leveled the entire building to the ground.

Sources said the Lebanese army personnel were searching through the rubble for any further casualties.