Lebanon fuel tank explosion kills at least 20, Red Cross says

A fuel tank exploded in Lebanon, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than seven, the Lebanese Red Cross said in a tweet.

The explosion occurred in in the northern region of Akkar, according to the Red Cross, which said it deployed 22 teams to transport the wounded and dead to hospitals. The organisation didn’t say what triggered the blast.

⚠️UPDATE⚠️: our teams have transported 20 dead bodies and more than 7 injured from the fuel tanker explosion in #AKKAR to hospitals in the area. pic.twitter.com/MgWdpC61Pn

— Lebanese Red Cross (@RedCrossLebanon) August 15, 2021

The incident comes as Lebanon grapples with a fuel shortage that may force hospitals to shut off lifesaving equipment within days. The country also recently marked the one-year anniversary of an ammonium nitrate-induced explosion in Beirut that destroyed food stores and led the government to resign, exacerbating an already unfolding economic crisis.