The scene of an explosion that rocked the town of Benafoul, east of Saida, in the early hours of April 12, 2022. (Credit: L'Orient Today
Beirut — An explosion occurred last night at around 1:30 a.m. in the town of Benafoul, east of Saida.
Here’s what we know
• According to our correspondent in the South, the blast occurred at a Civil Defense center of an Amal movement scout troop, which is next to the municipality building of Benafoul. As of last night, the blast has killed one person and wounded seven others, who were taken to nearby hospitals.
• The victim has been identified as Ali Al Riz, the son of the mayor of Benafoul.
• The blast completely severely damaged the building and destroyed part of the town’s municipality. A Lebanese Army spokesperson told L’Orient Today that the cause of the blast is not yet known and is still under investigation.
• A source, one of the wounded, told our correspondent that the explosion was a result of the combustion of a number of oxygen tanks, which could have been caused by faulty electrical wiring. Residents of the town continued to speculate about the cause, with some saying it could have been a deliberate attack.
• Residents of the town who spoke to our correspondent said that their homes shook and their windows were destroyed. They added that the incident caused panic and terror.
• Meanwhile a source in the Amal movement told L'Orient Today these are all rumors so far, and that the movement will verify the causes of the explosion, and the security services will also investigate the nature of the explosion to find out its causes.
• On December 11, 2021, another explosion occurred in the Burj al-Shemali Palestinian refugee camp, in the southern city of Sour. Early reports indicated that the explosion took place at an ammunition storehouse, but Hamas has said the explosion was the result of faulty electrical wiring setting off oxygen canisters. The death toll of that explosion remains shrouded in uncertainty.
*Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified the town of Benafoul as being outside the city of Sour. It has been updated to note that Benafoul is actually outside the city of Saida.
