
The van destroyed by the violent collision with a roadside tree in Jran, near Batroun. (Credit: Michel Halla/ LOrient Today)
The death toll from last Thursday’s fatal road accident in Jran, located in the Batroun district of North Lebanon, has increased. On Tuesday, Abdel Karim Sayyed, one of the injured, was confirmed dead, bringing the total to four fatalities and eight injuries, all from the village of Ain al-Dahab in the Akkar region.
The accident occurred at dawn when a small pickup truck veered off the main road and collided with a tree. The vehicle was carrying agricultural workers heading to the Batroun region to harvest aromatic plants. The crash initially claimed the lives of three people, leaving nine others injured. The Lebanese Red Cross and Civil Defense transported the injured to hospitals in Batroun and Jbeil.
Reports suggest the driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel, but some relatives and survivors question this account. They allege that gunshots from another vehicle that chased the van could have led to the crash, a claim that has prompted calls for a thorough investigation by the police.
Walid Baarini, a member of parliament from Akkar, expressed concerns that attempts to incite conflict between the residents of Akkar and Batroun must be avoided.
MP Mohammad Sleimane, from Ain al-Dahab, extended his condolences to the Sayyed family and urged for a swift resolution to uncover the cause of the accident.
Sleimane hoped “that this accident was not provoked and that light will soon be shed on the tragedy so that the anger of the families can be appeased.”