Five members from same family killed in Mina fire

A fire, which broke out Friday shortly after 3 p.m. in Mina (Tripoli), claimed the lives of five members of the same family of Syrian nationality, who are the five children of the building's caretaker, apparently residing on site, according to L'Orient Today's correspondent.

The fire erupted in the parking of the Hajj Abed Yehia building on Port Said Street and quickly spread over a large area, releasing thick black smoke. It was likely caused by a generator that caught fire. The five victims suffered from suffocation due to the thick smoke and were transported by the Lebanese Red Cross to local hospitals. They were the family of the building's caretaker. They all succumbed to their injuries.

The Civil Defense rushed to the scene to try to extinguish the flames and prevent them from reaching other nearby buildings and cars. The fire was so intense that firefighters feared the roof of the depot, where the generator was located, in the parking area, might collapse.

By around 3:45 p.m., the Civil Defense managed to control the incident with the help of municipal workers from the Federation of Municipalities of Tripoli and the LRC. Security forces have opened an investigation to determine responsibility.

The Lebanese, lacking electricity, often rely on private neighborhood or building generators to make up for energy shortages. This is not the first time that neighborhood generators have caught fire due to overuse. On Nov. 9, 2024, the malfunction of a generator in Hamra, Beirut, caused a major fire while the capital was being bombarded by Israeli strikes.