Relatives of victims of the Tleil fuel depot explosion blocking a road in Akkar, March 28, 2022. (Photo: Michel Hallak)
BEIRUT — Relatives of the victims of an explosion of an illegal gasoline depot in the Akkar village of Tleil last August blocked roads in several areas in Akkar, North Lebanon, Monday. They protested the government’s negligence in dealing with human consequences of the explosion, which killed around thirty people and injured a hundred others, L’Orient Today’s correspondent in North Lebanon reports.
Here’s what we know:
• People injured in the explosion criticized government negligence of their daily needs, particularly in the matter of treating their injuries, which prevent them from working. They lamented that Prime Minister Najib Mikati and some ministers have not responded to their demands, and the fact that cheques of $1,000 for each family of those killed have yet to be paid by the Higher Relief Committee.
• The protesters also hoped that Parliament would adopt a law guaranteeing them aid and compensation. "These spontaneous protests will continue as long as there is no response to our demands," one protestor said. During their protest last week, the victims also announced that other mobilizations will follow in Beirut in front of the residences of the Prime Minister and other political leaders.
• The Tleil explosion took place on the night of August 14, 2021, when residents stormed an illegal gasoline storage depot, as fuel was extremely scarce at the time. The Lebanese army distributed fuel to local residents before the explosion — which appears to have been caused when an irate individual threw a cigarette lighter into the fray. Three suspects had been arrested as part of the ongoing investigation.