Explosion Rocks Refugee Camp in Southern Lebanon

An explosion in a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon has left several injured, and possible deaths, according to some reports. The explosion occurred late on Friday night in the Burj al-Shemali camp in the port city of Tyre. It came from a suspected weapons depot belonging to the Hamas terror group, according to the state-run National News Agency.  But Hamas said in a statement on Saturday that the explosion was caused by an electrical fault in a warehouse containing oxygen and gas cylinders for use by coronavirus patients. The warehouse also housed cleaners and disinfectants, according to the report.

The explosion caused property damage, according to Hamas, which did not report any deaths. The NNA reported that there were deaths, though local media and people on the scene said there were no fatalities, Reuters reported.

There are some 12 Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, controlled by Hamas or the Fatah movement.