Smoke rises over an informal Syrian refugee camp in Arsal, Lebanon, Oct. 5, 2022. (Courtesy of Sarah Abdallah)
BEIRUT — Rescue teams extinguished a fire that broke out on Wednesday morning in a Syrian refugee camp in Arsal, Baalbeck-Hermel governorate, that torched 93 tents and left several people with minor injuries, our correspondent in the region reported.
The fire broke out in the informal "al-Omani al-Wefaq" camp in the Arsal area, near the Lebanese-Syrian border, spreading to nearly half the camp's 200 tents. Among the damaged goods were refugees' identification papers, according to the state-run National News Agency. The cause of the fire, which also reportedly damaged the camp's sewer pipes, is not yet known.
Members of the Lebanese Army, as well as Civil Defense personnel, local authorities and volunteers worked to put out the fire, which left around 100 families without shelter, according to the NNA.
In recent years, several fires have taken place in refugee camps in Lebanon, where living and security conditions are below international standards. They are often due to faulty electrical wiring or the use of stoves for heating in the winter months.
Reporting contributed by Sarah Abdallah