A queue of cars at the Masnaa border crossing between Lebanon and Syria. (Credit: NNA)
BEIRUT — A Lebanese teenager incarcerated at the Masnaa police station near the Syrian border survived an attempted death by suicide, the state-run National News Agency reported on Wednesday. It was not immediately clear when the incident occurred.
Police officers reportedly saved the 15-year-old boy, then rescue workers provided first aid.
It was not clear why the boy had been incarcerated or how long he had been held in Masnaa. The Internal Security Forces and the Masnaa police station were not immediately available for comment.
The NGO Embrace, which runs the "National Lifeline" mental health hotline (number 1564), did not immediately respond to L'Orient Today's request for comment.
In 2022, 22 percent of suicide deaths in Lebanon were among young people aged 11 to 25, Embrace co-founder and president Mia Atoui has previously told L'Orient-Le Jour. Figures put forth by the NGO showed a stark increase in suicidal ideation among youth since 2019, though the number of such deaths remains stable.
Experts have described the situation in Lebanon's prisons and detention centers as "catastrophic." Last week, several catering companies threatened to suspend food deliveries to some prisons if the state failed to pay them.