The van destroyed by the violent collision with a roadside tree in Jran, near Batroun. (Credit: Michel Halla/ LOrient Today)
The death toll of a fatal road accident last week in Jran, in the Batroun district of North Lebanon, increased on Friday after Bassam al-Sayyed one of the injured, was confirmed dead — bringing the total to five fatalities and six injuries. All casualties are from the village of Ain al-Dahab in the Akkar region, local sources told L'Orient-Le Jour.
The accident occurred on July 18 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.
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.
